All We Are
by Ariela246
Summary: Eddward frankly was a very mysterious guy. There were people in school who respected him, most however feared his intimidating presence. Little Kevin had no idea how Eddward had gotten so much power in his possession, but he hoped someone would step up and give him a piece of his own medicine. [REV!KEVEDD] SLOW BURN(Warning:Violence & Self Harm! Smexual content for future chaps ;P)
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello lovely's,**_

 _ **I have been WAY to excited to post this new story with you. Finally the day has come :D**_

 _ **This story will be focused on Rev!Kevedd, which i absoluetly adore.**_

 _ **Can you guess which song inspired this story? Just like The Scientist this one is named after a song that really hit me :3**_

 _ **I tried doing something way different from The Scientist, i had all these thoughts and ideas on a notebook and i knew how they were going to connect. I write as i go without planning every single chapter. Adding and editing things as i go along and it has come to be a good approach for me as it is less stressful. Not to mention that the chapters will be much shoter than my other fanfic.**_

 _ **Well, i hope you enjoy this introduction to the story.**_

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He rose above the shallow water and quickly smashed down against the tides, then let himself slowly sink. He loved the feeling of being underwater. At first it was like a roller coaster then it became something very different. His conscious was in tranquility, at least for now. It eventually felt almost bone crushing from the intense pressure of gallons of water that encompassed every inch of his body. He was at a loss of control. He didn't know which way was up or down. The pressure squeezed his lungs, causing them to ache. The feeling of numbness enveloped him from the defeat of his dominance he once possessed.

All he could hear was the rumble of the clear liquid that surrounded him. He closed his eyes, and his mind went blank as he felt the sea's terrors. He opened his mouth to call out, but nothing came. Instead his throat was quickly filled with water causing him to choke. There were no sounds from the exterior, no cries from those who have wronged, no pitiful stares from those merciless strangers that passed by. Gradually his sight started to slip away, sinking into the darkness below. He was alone with just his thoughts that were heightened to their full extent, they yelled, they begged, they laughed, they screamed. They were his unwelcome truth and he knew he was forced to face the world above, dead or alive. There never truly was escape from the hell that was his life.

Then the sea swallowed him whole...

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.

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Kevin Thomas Barr adjusted his favorite red Quiz Bowl cap as he looked at himself in the schools bathroom mirror. He had always been a scrawny, red headed boy and he constantly cursed himself for it. Not like he could change anything by it but he still did it anyways. He tried to straighten his green cotton sweater that had been ruined from a slight beating he had received during lunch by his typical bullies.

Kevin let out a long sigh as he took a good look at himself. His glasses slightly cracked, his pale freckled skin bruised and cut, and his eyes had dark circles from the lack of sleep he had from the pain that was enacted upon his thin body almost every day. He already was self-conscious and he really didn't need any more points to add to the list.

He would have giving up to the gang of bullies long ago if it wasn't for his best friends Nazz and Rolf. Nazz was a short, pretty girl that always had her short blond hair tucked behind her ears, and wore loose sweaters with knee length skirts. She possessed probably the sweetest most caring personality there ever was. She was strong in heart, and a great listener. Kevin often asked her for advice on everything.

Rolf, well he was an awkward poetic guy. He was a good friend, sure, but he wasn't nearly as good as giving advice like Nazz was. He was a bit more difficult to talk to and Kevin often felt confused but he was a good guy nonetheless. He and Rolf would always step up against their bullies in order to protect Nazz. He was Kevin's right hand man. Unfortunately Rolf had moved away back to his home country about a month ago to help care for his ill grandmother.

Now that Rolf was gone, Kevin was left alone to his own devices to deal with the ruthless gang all by himself. And ruthless they were. Once the gang found out about Rolf's absence they all decided to gang up on poor Kevin almost every day.

He couldn't even remember how the bulling had started. It had probably started back in junior high with light teasing, and ever since high school, the bullying gradually intensified to what it was today. A physical beating that nearly left Kevin feeling on the edge, wanting to end it all with one swift cut, with one quick jump, with one tiny pill. However he could never go through with it. It was always a thought that crawled through his brain in his darkest moments, and as quickly as it came, it left. He knew better, he had hope, he had strength, he had someone to protect. He had Nazz. It would take a lot more to break him.

It was stupid to even think about it really; he appreciated life even if the gang made it hard for him at times. He knew it would all be over soon and he would be able to move on to greater things in life, like riding his motorcycle.

Now, Kevin didn't look like the type boy to love adventurous tasks, yet he did. His motorcycle rides were his favorite. He would drive at full blast through the late night's weekends on the almost deserted freeway. He loved the adrenaline rushing through the blood to his pumping heart.

The very thought of it made eyes shine bright with anticipation "Uuuuh man now I wanna ride my bike, fuck school" Kevin took his hat off and scratched his red hair that always seemed to fall awkwardly on his forehead. He had skipped school once to go out riding, but he hadn't fully thought of the consequences. The bullies were out looking for him and when they didn't find him they went after Nazz. Poor girl, she didn't deserve it, and never again did Kevin ever leave Nazz on her own again.

He was annoyed and frustrated with tears that threatened to leave his eyes as he thought back on that dreadful day. His conscious was filled with guilt that he could never repay to the innocent blond girl. He looked at his pitiful state in the mirror, irritation reflected in his emerald eyes "Why do I have to be so weak?"

"Why indeed little Minnow"

Kevin gasped, turning around to see the source of the deep voice that always had him trembling within seconds every time it resonated with such power.

There he stood, Eddward James Vincent, the leader of the pack of bullies. He towered over little Kevin easily with his terrifying presence. He wore black jeans, and a black long sleeved jacket with a blood red shirt underneath. His famous black striped hat hung low over his forehead while his dog tags swung back and forth.

He swiftly walked towards Kevin, slamming him against the bathroom wall. He harshly cupped Kevin's cheeks with a hand and forced him to look up at his dark blue eyes. "Leave my presence before I inflict more pain upon your pathetic being"

Kevin was petrified by the voice, so dark, so malicious it made his very soul tremble with fright. He was paralyzed.

"I said leave!" His voice thundered through the bathroom

Kevin quickly blinked out of his trance and squirmed out of the bully's grasped. He scurried away back into the public eye, back into safety. He stopped a second and looked back at the bathroom door with curious eyes. Eddward frankly was a very mysterious guy. He always kept to himself and there was no one who knew much about him. There were people in the school who respected the guy, most however feared his intimidating presence. Kevin had no idea how Eddward had gotten so much power in his possession, but he hoped someone would step up and give him a piece of his own medicine. He sighed angrily and went back to class.

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 _ **Thank you for reading this first chapter, i know it's a bit on the dull side, but from next chapter the story will start to unravel.**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much :3**_

…


	2. Chapter 2

There was no love, there was no affection. He sat on the cold floor in a wide room with white wall that was encompassed by darkness. He was always feeling alone, living a blank existence quite honestly. Constantly questioning why he held onto this misery. Everyone had left, no one cared. His worth had disintegrated long ago. No one knew the real him, how often he cried, how much he wanted to disappear. In his room alone, he took off his mask and grabbed a pocket knife. He slowly dragged the small blade across his scarless skin.

One time was all it took to let the demons consume him.

 _._

 _._

 _._

Kevin finished organizing his school supplies that were laid out on the table and placed them back into his backpack. His first class was an open period and he often spent this time doing homework or studying in the library. Often he wished to sleep in, however his tormentors left him uneasy at the thought of leaving Nazz alone. He would usually escort her to her first class of the day. If the bullies saw that he was present that morning they would leave the girl alone for the day.

He stood from his seat swinging his backpack over his shoulder and left the library heading towards his locker to grab his calculus textbook. There were students walking about either trying not to get caught for skipping, or they possibly had some other sort of business to attend to. Whichever, Kevin suddenly saw a wave of these wanderers begin to scurry in different directions; all coming out of the direction he was headed. Coincidence or not his locker happened to be in that particular hallway.

His pulse quickened, and his hands became sweaty. He knew he had to turn around and make a run for it. Forget the textbook he needed to get to safety. Yet something caught his attention, a familiar squeal. His eyes widened and quickened his pace into the hallway.

There in front of his locker stood the pack of bullies. The three members surrounded someone against the lockers, making it impossible for the person to escape. Johnny a bald creepy guy was chuckling, the other one named Jimmy was towering over someone while Eddward stood on the side looking uninterested with his hands stashed in his pockets.

There was another squeal and Kevin stood on his tip toes to get a better view of the innocent victim hidden from sight. He had gotten the attention of Eddward and saw how the bully's eyes swirled with interest towards the ginger. Kevin became intimidated and wanted to run away before they could grab him as their next prey. Though when Jimmy turned to see the ginger, Kevin caught sight of the person they held prisoner. It was poor little Nazz.

Kevin immediately became furious and without thinking rushed to her side, by sliding underneath the bully's arm and standing in between Nazz and Jimmy. His arms extended to their full capacity trying to block the bullies "Leave her alone, you assholes!" he huffed angrily.

"Well, well, well if it isn't superman" Johnny cracked a smirk.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, we were merely asking for your whereabouts, right Captain?" Jimmy pulled back some and looked at Eddward.

Kevin followed his gaze towards Eddward's murky blue ones. A chill ran down his spine but he kept his firmness as he felt Nazz slightly grab his sweater. "Indeed" answered Eddward staring directly at the ginger. Kevin's legs began to tremble like they always did whenever that dark voice spoke.

"You know the deal pipsqueak, come hang out with us a bit and we'll leave your chick alone" Johnny grinned leaning closer to Kevin.

Kevin huffed irritated and now looked directly at Johnny. If only he was just as big, just as strong, he would be able to take them on. If only, but he knew reality was cruel and there was no other way to protect Nazz. "Fine…"

"K-Kevin!" Nazz breathed out a whisper and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tight.

"Excellent we'll see you after school then, wouldn't want to let the teachers see your condition after our _hang out_ , now would we?" Jimmy said placing his hands in his pockets.

Eddward lifted himself off the lockers he was leaning against and leaned closer to a petrified Kevin. "Don't try to escape little Minnow, because I'm sure you are aware of the consequences of such actions…" he paused "…I'll find you, no doubt" Eddward whispered into his ear and started heading down the hall followed by his goons.

Once again Kevin was flabbergasted by Eddward's presence. He didn't know how the tyrant did it, but every time Kevin was left stupefied, his eyes wide open in fear staring at the menacing predator that lurked about. He gasped faintly when he felt Nazz's hold tighten around him. "Kevin, are you alright?" She asked looking at him with concern.

He placed his hands on top of Nazz's and gave them a squeeze to reassure her "Yeah I'm alright" He turned around to get a better look at the girl "How about you, did they do anything to hurt you?"

Nazz shook her head "No, I'm fine" she took his hands in hers "You got here just in time, thank you…" she gave him a sad smile then looked down at the floor "…I'm sorry to have caused you trouble again"

Kevin wrapped his arms around her "Hey, don't worry about it, they throw a weak punch" he smiled at her, and she returned the smile. Then after a second of comforting each other, Kevin grabbed his textbook from his locker and they walked towards their math class.

…

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading this chapter, i know it's short but look forward to this Friday (This story will be updated every friday from now on) :3**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much :3**_


	3. Chapter 3

In the white room there were no signs of life, the cool air that covered every inch of the house brought goosebumps through the child's body. The silence was suffocating. He felt cold. He raised his arms and rubbed his skin gently to bring warmth to his skin. However no matter how much he wished to feel warmth, he could not. His tiny frame began to tremble, not from the cold but from the realization how hallow this house made him feel.

Icy glazed eyes stared at the wall full of family portraits. He scanned through each photo carefully. A pale thin woman with long hair wore a stunning white wedding dress. She stood next to a man with a stern face, who appeared to have the slightest hint of a smile on his chapped lips. More pictures of the happy couple were neatly placed around the wall, but he felt something amiss and knew for a certain there where pictures that were missing. Where was he? The boy was sure that pictures of his younger self had been hung on the wall, but where were they? Thrown out, ripped, or burned? Possibly, after all they had abandoned him. He knew he was a disappointment, no a mistake, that came unwanted in the relationship of the couple.

The boy stretched out his arms high above him and slowly began to take down each portrait. He took out the pictures from the frames and stacked them together in a neat pile. He went to grab the lighter he knew was hidden in his old man's office desk, and lit a small fire in the fireplace. He grabbed a picture, glanced at it and without a moment of hesitation he tossed it into the fire. The small boy watched as the picture melted into nothing within less than a minute, and then he tossed in another one.

Only one frame remained untouched on the wall.

"Happy Birthday to me…" he whispered.

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 _._

Kevin sat in his final class staring directly at the clock, while the sounds around him were muffled to his unfocused ears. The ticking sounds of the hands irritated him knowing that every seconded that passed was a second closer to hell. He huffed debating whether to make an escape with Nazz so he wouldn't have to face the gang after school, or simply give in. Unfortunately, like Eddward had said, he knew that would happen if he ran away, told on them or resisted.

Don't get him wrong, he had tried to find a way to end his torture many times before. However Eddward was as smart as they came, there was no escaping his torment. His minions would keep tabs on the entire student body and had their means of finding things out absolutely anything whenever they required it. This was how they ruled the school, no one had freedom, and no one was safe. If a student or a group did anything to rebel against them then it was certain that they would be the next ones to wake up in a hospital. Eddward was terrifying, terrifying indeed. It was said that if one where to witness his full capacity they would be sure to become traumatized from the sight. He was not one to be messed with what's so ever.

Here Kevin was now, sitting in the middle of the classroom begging the time to go as slow as it could maybe even stop for the rest of his life, he sure wouldn't mind. Death, was it something he wished? Probably not, but the douche bags made it hard for him not to wish for it at these certain times. Did he wish he was dead right now, yes he most certainly wished so.

No matter how much he prayed, the time seemed to have a different course of mind. He couldn't tell if it was just him, or his paranoia but it felt like the entire classroom was laughing at his torment as he felt every second being counted down faster than he would have liked.

5...4...3...2... He closed his eye shut tight. He began to hear the students rustling to clean up, stashing their papers in a disorderly fashion into folders and zipping their bags closed. Kevin took slowly paced breaths as he heard various footsteps moving in one direction. Then when he heard complete silence he opened his eyes. No one was left in the classroom, not even the teacher.

He looked back up to the clock and saw it had already been 7 mins after the bell. He stood up from his seat and slowly placed everything into his bag pack not caring where everything was place knowing that he would have to organize everything after his "appointment" with his persecutors. He slid his bag on his shoulder and tightly held onto the strap, sighing nervously.

He knew he would be ok; it always turned out that way. The damages they did were never to the point of causing him to be near death, they were always…bearable. At least that's what he thought since he had grown accustomed to the beatings; his body had grown to be more resistant, at least that's what he thought. Yet he always carried bruises on his body, bruises that never seem to go away.

Maybe it was just his mentality that had become resistant. Something to help the pain go away he thought looking at a small bruise peeking from his sweater's sleeve.

He took a deep breath in, and exhaled slowly and took a step forward knowing hell awaited him outside the classroom doors.

...

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading this chapter, Look forward to Next Friday! (i may post sooner since this was a very short chapter)**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night**_


	4. Chapter 4

The boy was never one to be troublesome. He sat alone at the corner of the classroom staring off onto nothing, daydreaming about wherever his mind took him. Yet he attracted a group of kids who had the tendency of making fun of him. They called him names and mocked his quiet nature causing many of the students around him to giggle and laugh along. He never showed emotion towards the name calling, his mother had taught him to ignore them. But he thought about where she now...

She had damned him. She had left.

There was no one left to care what happened to him. The kids stood right up on his face laughing and singing along to a song they had come up with to tease him. No matter how much he wanted to ignore, his erupted.

"SHUT UP!"

He yelled with all the air he had in his lungs and pushed one of the kids to the floor. He raised his fist high above in the air ad swung it down with all his strength meeting the kid in the face. The other boys stood shocked at the sudden outbursts and after a moment launched themselves to save their companion.

They desperately tried to pull the angered boy off, however they couldn't until the teacher interfered. She sent the boy into the principal's office, while the other one went to the nurse's.

Since that day no one dared to interact with the boy in any way shape or form.

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Kevin laid in the school's football field in outer most pain. What was he doing there? He asked himself slowly opening his eyes letting small rays of the sun warm him up.

Ah...

He suddenly remembered as he saw a figure looming over him. His face dark, and eyes filled with an indescribable hate.

Just how long had Eddward been standing there, watching him with that disturbing expression? Shivers ran down Kevin's weak back, wondering what horrendous torture he was planning now that his minions had gone.

"W-What the hell do you want?" Kevin croaked out, trying his best to seem tough.

Eddward's figure just stood tall in front of him, no movement what's so ever. He face continued to frown at him, and his eyes stared deeply at him. It all freaked Kevin out.

This silence was too much for the ginger boy as anxiety began to surge through his mind and he spat out "WHAT!" Wincing as pain rushed through his left leg from the sudden movement.

Eddward reacted this time. He quickly lifted his right foot and with a strong swing kicked Kevin hard on face. He looked down at him with his face filled with more annoyance.

Blood ran down Kevin's nose, and he was sure to get a bruise in it too. How the hell is he supposed to cover that up? He blinked slightly, back again to the dark figure standing before him.

 _Just what the hell is his problem?!_ Kevin thought to himself rubbing his bleeding nose. He looked back at Eddward with rage "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK! You know you're so used to being the one beating people up, why don't you try being on the other side, and see how you like it!"

"I simply don't give damn Minnow" Eddwards menacing voice finally spoke out.

That was it. This man had no soul, no heart. Kevin had enough of his bullshit and out of extreme anger screamed out "DO US ALL A FUCKING FAVOR AND DISAPPEAR VINCENT!" He quickly laid back down on the ground and covered his face with his arms knowing there was sure to be a painful attack to follow. Yet nothing came.

Moments passed and there was still complete silence. Kevin removed his arms slowly to peek through in case Eddward was waiting for him to lower his defenses. There was no one in his surroundings. Eddward had gone without a trace.

Kevin was left feeling slightly guilty. He was sure the toughest oppressor in the entire school didn't take his words to heart, he couldn't have.

Right?

...

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading this chapter, Look forward to this Friday!**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night**_


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Kevin walked to school in silence.

He had had a hard time trying to explain his nose injury to his father. His father was a very persistent man, yet somehow he managed to slip away with the distraction of a phone call his father had received in the middle of the argument.

It wasn't over. It wasn't near the end with the discussion with his father. Somehow he had to manage to cover his false story.

His chest ached from the pain from the fact that he was flat out lying to his father. He had been lying for years now. Sure he was used to it, but that didn't mean it made it any less easy.

He just had to get by these final years of high school and it would all be over. He had come a long way and he wasn't giving up now.

.

.

.

Boring, it was all he had to describe his day in school. It was all so bland and uneventful. The only good thing about this particular day was that not even Eddward nor his goons made any attempt to approach him in any way.

This however left Kevin feeling slightly on guard. This was all too unnatural and was simply nerve wracking for his own good.

"Hey Kev what's up? You seem a little paranoid, is it Eddward again?" Nazz stood close to him while she waited for him to finish up getting the textbooks he would need to take home.

"Sorta…" he quietly answered.

"You do realize that they haven't touched you not even glanced in your direction at all today right? Maybe they become bored with you!" she chimed happily.

"I sure hope so…"once again silence.

"Kev, hey Kevin what's up? Tell me the truth, because you don't seem too happy?" she questioned with clear concern in her tone.

"It's…" he let out a big sigh before closing the locker and averting his eyes to think for a moment. Should he tell her? What happened yesterday? What he said to Eddward? Kevin shook the thought away thinking he was being silly. "It's just my dad, don't know how to explain this" he pointed to his nose.

Nazz bluntly stated staring at the injury with anger "It's simple, just tell him the truth. Tell him exactly what's been going on since freshman-."

Immediately Kevin blocked whatever she was about to say. "SHHHH! What if someone hears you and tattle-tales on you! You'll never see the end of it."

Nazz pulled off Kevins hands from her mouth "If it means you stop being the center of Eddward's attention, I'll take it"

"Stop it Nazz you won't be able to handle it" Kevin looked sadly at her.

"How do you know I can't?" Nazz then looked around the halls and lowered her voice into a whisper "I'll tell on them, I'll do it one day Kev. For sure"

No words could describe the amount of admiration Kevin felt for Nazz in that moment. Just by looking onto those pure crystal clear blue eyes, he knew she wasn't lying. She would do it one day.

…

The ginger boy sat in his bedroom with his headphones on trying to relax a moment from studying. He stared at the ceiling but found that his eyes were burning and decided to close them for a moment. Taking deep slow breaths to realize his mind took him back to the previous incident.

The pain he had felt surged through his body once again, his lungs felt clogged, and his heart rate sped up. He saw the dark figure staring intensely down at him with such dark pained eyes. The expression wasn't angry, he was annoyed or something else…why?

"KEVIN!"

His eyes shot open and stood up lighting fast from the scare. He grabbed onto the table trying to steady himself as he felt his vision black out and his head feeling dizzy.

"Kevin I'm home I brought… you alright son?"

"I've told you to knock several times already dad" Kevin whined "and yeah you just scared me is all" Kevin stood straight up facing his father.

"Oh um…did I uh interrupt something?" Kevin father looked around the room.

Kevin slapped his hands onto his face completely embarrassed by his father assumptions "GOD DAD NO! I WAS STUDYING"

"Alright, alright, come down stairs for dinner I brought fried chicken." Kevin's father chuckled leaving the door open behind him.

Kevin looked back at his desk for a second before following his father down stairs.

…

"Kevin…" Mr. Barr finally spoke breaking the calm silence both shared in the living room. Kevin looked up from his book on robotics he had been so focused on, knowing what was coming.

"Yeah dad?" he asked.

"About your nose…" Kevin father announced flipping through the television channels.

Rolling his eyes Kevin responded "I've already told you I tripped on my way back home and didn't haven't time to catch myself properly." He sighed and continued to read his book.

"Kevin I know when you're lying" Kevin father stared at him firmly.

 _No, no you don't dad_ Kevin thought slouching down into the couch seat. "I'm not lying dad"

Mr. Barr sighed "Look at me Kevin Thomas Barr" and Kevin obeyed looking straight at his father's worried face knowing his father was serious when he called him by his full name. "Can you look straight at me and tell me you're telling me the truth?"

Kevin had done this several times in his life, he was good at it. So he locked his light green eyes with his father's chocolate brown ones. "I'm telling you the truth, honest to god."

There was silence for a long moment before Mr. Barr sighed defeated and continued to flip through the channels on the television. "Alright son, but if you are hiding something you're not going to hear the end of it you hear me Kevin."

"Yeah dad" Kevin flipped through his book, reading the paragraphs. Yet the words on the pages didn't make sense, didn't have meaning. It was like he couldn't read anymore, and it frustrated him. Lying to his dad caused him so much anxiety sometimes he couldn't even breathed right.

He breathed in and exhaled slowly, he just prayed everything would be over soon.

…

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading this chapter, Look forward to Next Friday!**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hello Lovelies here the next chapter to AWA hope you enjoy it._**

 ** _and sorry for such short chaps,_ but they will most likely get longer as the story develops.**

 _ **Enjoy! :3**_

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It all seemed too silent for Kevin, and he wasn't sure if it was figuratively or literally. Sure the halls where crowed with strange noisy kids, and the streets filled with bustling cars. Yet everything seemed to be on mute. He saw mouths moving but no voices, he saw cars drive by, but only the breeze brushed against his pale skin. There had been a certain scandalous situation that had kept silent for too long to be comfortable.

And it made it all seemed far too quiet.

Was it his paranoia? He was always on edge, but now he seemed even more uneasy filled with more anxiety. Why? There was absolutely nothing to fear because the troublesome matter had gone. Gone away for days now, and it was far too long than usual. But, wasn't it better this way he asked himself, maybe the torture was finally over.

Maybe it was finally the end.

No, it wasn't the end. It couldn't be, it wasn't just that simple and Kevin knew it. But what was the point of completely avoiding him? Were his tyrants planning something, something possibly far worse than what they have done? Who knew...

"KEVIN"

He wiped his head quickly looking at the source of the voice. With his eyes opened wide he realized it was his best friend Nazz.

"Dude, I've been trying to get your attention for the past 5 minutes" she stared at him curiously "lunch is almost over and you haven't touched your food, what's up?"

"Nothing really...just get caught up in the clouds is all" Kevin sheepishly looked down at his freckled hands.

"Thinking about what?" She leaned in closer trying to get him to speak on.

"Um...stuff" he sifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Stuff again..." She sighed sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest in a pout "lately you haven't been talking much too me Kev, I'm worried about you and all you say is stuff"

"I'm sorry, it's really isn't anything to be worried about 'K?" Kevin weakly smiled at her, and extended his arms to offer a hug.

"Alright then, if you say so" she tightly held on to her best friend as he embraced her trying to comfort her. "Hey I have to stay behind to tutor this one guy from my Literature class after school, so you can go home without me alright?"

"Ok then, just call me when you get home" he said parting slightly from her.

"Of course!" She smiled up at him.

"Alright then see you tomorrow, and take a bite of your lunch at least" She stood up waved goodbye dashing towards her next class as the bells rang.

...

Again the day ended without a slight sign of anything. Kevin walked along the streets staring off onto nothing. _Maybe it would be a good idea to walk around town, just to get out of the usual habit._ He smiled slightly thinking of where he should roam.

The streets where quiet, there was barely anyone walking to driving around, and it was earning evening time. The sky started to get a hint of orange and purples in the sky from the sun starting to set.

Noticing this Kevin ran towards the nearby bridge he knew was perfect to see the scenery. His dad would take him there in the summer time when he was younger. He loved watching it, seemed so magical.

He ran as fast as he could towards the sight keeping his eyes on the setting sun. He couldn't, no wouldn't miss the chance of a perfect scene.

He was almost there.

Panting fast, hands sweaty and heartbeat throbbing in his chest. Kevin suddenly stopped. The setting sun was absolutely gorgeous. Almost breath taking.

Yet his eyes weren't focused on the scene. They were on a dark figure.

The figure stood facing the scenery of the sun. Kevin came to realize that the man stood on the other side of the bridge, fingers lightly holding on.

He was going to jump.

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* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading this chapter, Look forward to Next Friday!**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**hehe almost fergot to upload today... :P**_

 _ **ANYWAYS ENJOY!**_

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Everything was on mute again; the sun seemed to have stopped. It had been caught in the moment just before the sun went completely down, leaving a hint of radiant orange and yellows over the horizon and a blanket of purple that sparkled with hovering jewels right on top.

Kevin's legs moved forward on their own and with every step he quickened his pace. His breath was caught in his lungs and his whole body was trembling. He reached his arms out as far as he could in front of him. He just had to make it on time.

"STOP!" Kevin yelled with every ounce of breath he had, wrapping his arms around the figure and holding on tightly. "P-PLEASE don't do this! Think about what you're leaving behind, what wonderful life might be waiting for you! I know it's hard, b-but please, please don't do this. You'll be alright I p-promise..." He lifted his head to look at the man he was holding so desperately onto and saw nothing else than a familiar black stripped beanie.

"How noble of you Minnow, I thought you wanted me to disappear?"

Oh, that malicious voice that without fail sent shivers down Kevin's spine. His small body froze, however not one second did he loosen his grip.

Eddward's head turned slightly to make eye contact with Kevin. He felt Eddward's hand rest on top of his small trembling ones "let go, close your eyes, and walk away" the voice stated ever so calmly and demanding.

Kevin couldn't rip his eyes away from Eddward's. Those blue orbs were dark and tranquil piercing into his own green ones. For a mere second his entire mind went blank seeing nothing but those obscure orbs. Somehow finding some strength he ripped his eyes away and tightened his hold on the boy "I-I-IDIOT! AS IF I'D DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

"Barr, I will NOT be repeating myself" Eddward's voice deepened threateningly and his hand held Kevin's painfully tight.

"WELL NITHER WILL I! You can do whatever the fuck you want to me after, but I will NOT let go of you until you climb back over here Vincent!" He looked back at Eddward with his tough guy expression he always put on when he was about to get a bad beating from Eddward's goons.

Eddward looked down at Kevin's face, knowing that expression far too well. He felt Kevin's tiny hands shaking uncontrollably under his firm grip. This situation annoyed Eddward very much because he knew the nerd was stubborn. He sighed angrily and steadily held onto the railing to climb back over. "You are a hindrance" he spat coldly unwrapping the freckled arms around him once he crossed over. Holding both of Kevin's hands in one of his, Eddward then yanked Kevin closer to him "You will never again interfere with me, understand Minnow?"

"Your welcome asshole..." Kevin pouted trying to pull his hands away from Eddward's grip.

Eddward huffed throwing Kevin's hands away and started walking past him. Kevin glared after the boy, but panicked when he thought Eddward would try it again if he wasn't around. So Kevin followed with a safe enough distance between the two. He had enough space to run after or to run away from Eddward.

"Your such an annoyance Barr, leave me be" Eddward called out hearing Kevin's nervous footsteps following behind.

"You might try something again if I leave you alone" Kevin muttered staring intently at the boys actions with his guard on.

"I WILL not hesitate to inflict extreme pain on your worthless body if you continue to follow me" Eddward raised his voice trying to intimidate the other.

Kevin kept silent and heavily debated to leave or follow. He knew the best choice was definitely to follow and make sure he got home, maybe his parents were home and would surely look after him. _Yeah I'll follow until he gets home_... He said slowly making more distance, but continuing to follow.

However Eddward made no attempt to go after the ginger boy and only sped up his pace. After a while of walking in awkward silence Kevin realized Eddward had come to a stop. He looked up and saw a huge white home, it seemed gloomy and ominous on the inside. "Is this your house?" He warily asked.

"Are you satisfied? Now leave damn you" Eddward's stare were daggers stabbing at Kevin. Why had he followed him? He knew Eddward was going to murder him sooner or later.

"Fine..." Kevin cautiously turned around and peeked to see if Eddward was about to stab him in the back. He saw the lean figure open the door and slam it shut. Kevin blinked several times waiting for Eddward to step out with a knife, yet nothing happened.

His muscles relaxed a bit, and took a better look at the house. It seemed Edd hadn't turned on any lights, which was weird to him. He became a bit anxious and his thoughts started rambling against one another. He didn't want to be the last person to have interacted with the guy. So many questions and thoughts began to unfold giving the ginger a small headache. Kevin let out a tired sigh and decided to leave the matter as is. Thinking he wouldn't try anything being home, his parents would surely come any time soon.

However the boy knew tomorrow he would experience the consequences of his actions. He looked up at the now dark sky deliberating whether all this had been a good idea, the guy was a complete dick face to begin with and probably would never change. He'd for sure turn into some criminal and cause all kinds of harm on this earth. Yet little Kevin had had the power in that small moment to end future harm or…maybe people did change…?

Fuck it… he was content with his choice. No matter who, everyone deserved a second chance in life. Yet this only crept many questions and concerns for the young ginger once again. He was this close to witnessing a suicide and that creeped a chill down his thin arms.

.

.

.

That night he couldn't sleep at all, the voices in his mind questioned every aspect of Eddward Vincent. _Why...why did he want to jump? Was it because of what I said? Is this serious? Do his parents know how this? About him? What am I supposed to do?_ Kevin's head began to ache from all the unanswered questions he held.

Knowing that he wouldn't sleep any time soon, he turned on his computer and began typing the letters slowly S.U.I.C.I.D.E.

 _Curiosity killed the cat Kevin..._

 _..._

* * *

 _ **~Slowly, Slooowly we're building it up~ ... Indeed curiosity did in fact kill the cat dear Kevin hehehe**_

 _ **Thank you for reading this chapter, Look forward to Next Friday!**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	8. Chapter 8

A small brunette haired boy sat next to the smiling boy on a grassy field with a little river passing by. They had spent many afternoons skipping rocks in silly competitions; today was one of those days. The brunette was a cheerful one; he was always a great company and the boy's only friend. The boy hugged his legs up to his chest listening intently to the brunette across from him.

"Hey, can you keep a secret?" The brunette asked a bit sheepishly. The boy nodded with excitement. "Come closer so I can tell you" he motioned with his hands.

With enthusiasm to know the big secret the boy scooted closer to the other. "Closer" the brunette repeated and the boy leaned his ear closer.

He felt the brunette's hands cup his cheeks to turn him to face the other. Ever so gently the boy pressed his lips to the others and smiled. "I like you" the brunette whispered.

.

.

.

Kevin had not gotten any sleep and was in his AP biology class in a daze. There was so much information drifting through his mind it was overwhelming. He had done some research on suicide and why one might want to go through with it. The main point for such an extreme was clearly depression, which lead Kevin asking way more questions than he would like about his bully Eddward.

This entire situation was extremely unsettling and uncomfortable, mainly due to the fact the boy he had saved was sitting on the opposite back corner of the room. The atmosphere in the room felt like Eddward had his hands wrapped around Kevin's neck ready to choke him to death at any given moment.

The ginger had had no interaction with his bully's in a very long time which caused him to become a bit paranoid, and with the events from the previous day he was sure to get the next beating real good.

Kevin was filled with stress and anxiety. He didn't know whether to approach Eddward and try to settle yesterday's matter or stay as far away from him as possible and pretend like nothing happened. He knew he couldn't ignore this for long.

Eddward although made it difficult. Yes, he was the cause of his hell, he was the devil himself. _Wouldn't the school be better off without him?_ He caught himself thinking once and instantly shamed himself, even Eddward's life was as precious as anyone else's, no matter what a dick he was, and that was the morally right thing...right?

"Mr. Barr!" Kevin's eyes rose up to meet the teachersin front of the class. "Boy I have asked you to answer question 9"

"Uh, yeah I'm sorry..." He looked down at his worksheet and thanked the heavens that it was one if the questions he managed to answer. He stood up as it was one of those silly rules the teacher had in her class when answering a question.

When sitting down he managed to get a glance at the back and saw Eddward staring directly at him. Immediately he paled and sat tensed the rest of the class period. He knew he was fucked. This time for sure the bully had it out for his head.

Hearing the ringing of the bell, Kevin's trembling hands stumbled to grab his books and papers in the desk and messily placed them inside his backpack, his breathing becoming unsteady with every second that passed.

A hand swiftly placed a small piece of paper in front of him before he stood up to leave. He saw Eddward's figure leave the classroom and blinked looking down at the paper.

There was no running away, no safety today.

He shakily grabbed the piece of paper and unfolded it, Eddward's neat hand writing was easy to recognize at first sight. It was such beautiful writing making it hard to believe it came from the hand of the demon that haunted his very being daily.

 _After school west wing_

He was completely screwed most definitely. Kevin almost wanted to cry at this point, he truly wanted to help the guy out, why must he be like this? No matter he had to be strong, he had to be persistent.

With a determined huff he stepped out of his class and head to his next class.

...

* * *

 _ **Wah i just wrote chapter 14 of this fanfic last night and i can't wait for it to be posted, oh in due time in due time.**_

 _ **I might change my posting to every Monday's and Friday just because i really want this train ride to finally start, if i get ahead a couple more chapter i most likely will.**_

 _ **Anyways hoped you enjoyed this chap, and look forward to possibly this Monday... if not then Next Friday for sure!**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**I meant to upload yesterday, but i didn't have internet all day until this morning :P**_

 _ **Anyways hope you enjoy this chap!**_

* * *

His entire body was in pain. The hits came quickly one after the other unable to give him enough time to recover. The pain surged through his every bone, making him cry out each time he received a blow.

One, two, three…fifteen… many more followed that at some point he lost count. How many times more was this process going to continue the red head questioned, he had done nothing wrong to these three boys. So why were they inflicting such violence on him? Was it a way to release bottled up anger?

One of them held Kevin tightly by his arms, holding him up for the other. He knew there would be marks left on his arms. The other boy was doing all the action, chuckling menacingly every time the ginger squealed in pain. He punched and kicked, not doing much damage to his face, knowing that would be their ticket to unnecessary investigation among the school.

The leader of the two however stood a few feet away glancing every so often to see the action. His expression was the same as always during these moments. He seemed annoyed, frustrated, and something else little Kevin could never read.

Jimmy finally seeming tired ran his fingers through his blond curly locks, looking at his leader "I think he's had about enough, don't you think Captain?" he called out.

Eddward simply stared down at Kevin "Do whatever" was all he said before turning and leaving the scene.

"Alrighty then, let's go Jim!" Johnny called out letting go of Kevin's weak body to drop down on the ground.

"See you next time Barr" Jimmy swiftly waved goodbye.

Kevin saw their figures slowly disappear from sight, before closing his eyes and falling unconscious.

...

What seemed like hours later the red head finally opened his eyes gently to see the sun start to set. The colors in the sky where truly beautiful, the white clouds seemed as puffy and soft as cotton. He appreciated every detail of the scene because to him it was like a painting. It was so enchanting.

The ginger breathed in filling his lungs with fresh air and softly exhaled out trying to endure all the pain was sure to come when he would attempt to get up. He moved his sore arms to support himself in lifting himself up gingerly. Wincing when pain rushed from his stomach to his head

Blinking a couple of times to try and ignore the pain he realized a figure standing near him. He stared at the figure so his vision could focus, and paled when recognizing who the figure was.

"Why are you back?" Kevin hesitantly questioned looking down as his hands, trying to breathe steady, and remain calm.

After a moment of silence Kevin looked up to see Eddward just staring off into the sky and he looked up as well feeling slightly annoyed at the lack of response. He sighed wondering if it was alright to just leave, he was tired and hungry.

Before he got too caught up in his thoughts of debate he felt a firm grip hold one of his arms and lift him up to his feet swiftly. This was a sudden movement that caused Kevin's entire body to ache. He scrunched his nose and closed his eyes tightly slightly grunting at the pain.

The ginger turned his face to make an irritated expression at his bully only to notice Eddward had been staring. The intimidating boy leaned in closer and softly yet threateningly spoke "Forget about yesterday, you saw nothing understood?"

The raspy voice that spoke and the cold blue eyes that stared, never failed to petrify Kevin to the very bone. His lips quivered faintly before he was able to find his voice "...I-I can't just do that..." He cursed himself for stuttering.

Eddward made an annoyed expression "And why not minnow?" He held Kevin's arm tighter.

Kevin flinched at the painful grip and continued to answer "Because Eddward..." He didn't really know how to answer him and looked down thinking how to finish his sentence. When he looked back up Eddward's eyes were dark and emotionless "I want to h-help you..." He whispered with caution.

At this the grip on his arm got even tighter. "I'd advise you not to get involve with me Barr" he spoke darkly.

The ginger gasping from the pain became frustrated with the boy's attitude and huffed "I got involved the moment I saved your ass" he spat out.

"NO ONE ASKED YOU TO!" Eddward threw Kevin to the ground harshly "You just had to come by and interfere at the right moment hadn't you Barr"

Kevin looked back up angered "IF YOU REALLY HAD WANTED TO DIE, YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IT LONG AGO" he panted and squeezed his eyes from the pain in his stomach "I know..." He breathed in "I know you don't actually want that Eddward" he opened his eyes again looking back up at Eddward. "Please let me help you somehow" he calmly asked.

Eddward looked like he was about to explode with rage and stepped towards Kevin. He pushed the boy back down on the ground with a foot and stabbed at his stomach with it. "If you don't want to forget then I'll make you forget." He pushed down harder making Kevin yell out and squirm underneath him "You will regret that day you interfered with me Barr" the raven haired gave Kevin one last hard push on his stomach and turned to walk off.

Kevin lay on the ground panting with half closed eyes looking at the wonderful colors that mixed together in the sky. "I won't ever regret it you asshole..." He wheezed out.

...

* * *

 _ **At least you wont have to wait much longer for the next chap lol**_

 _ **Anyways please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to this Friday! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	10. Chapter 10

**_Wah new Chapter, hope you enjoy_**

 ** _We are slowly getting closer fully taking off on this ride ;)_**

* * *

The ginger tossed and turned every which way. He just couldn't find a way to get comfortable under the covers; he'd either be too hot or too cold. Not to mention how his entire body ached from the previous beating he had received. It had been about two weeks since he had that encounter with Eddward in which the bully dedicated to make him 'forget'. Indeed the beating had been tough on him day after day and the Eddward's goons as well seemed to be getting even more intense each time. Tonight was most certainly not his night once again.

Finally having enough the boy sat up walking over to a drawer and pulling out some alcohol and cotton. He decided to clean some small cuts that were left on his sides from Jimmy's boots. He took the supplies and sat by his window looking out, and sighed taking a small piece of cotton and wetting it with the liquid. He lifted his shirt and gently tapped the wet cotton to his injury, wincing from the sting.

He knew he had some on his back, however he couldn't reached and always just left them alone. He placed the bottle and bag of cotton on the floor, putting some bandages on when finished and turned to look out the window once again.

Placing his warm forehead to the window gave him such a refreshing feeling. The glass was cool, calming his body temperature down. He yawned. Tired from several all nighters since the day he saved the Vincent boy.

The ginger closed his eyes, leaning his body more onto the cold window. He often recalled the scene when he realized who he had reached out to help, and the expression Eddward had gave him. The smoothness of Eddward's voice when he spoke to him, placing his slim hands on top of his trembling ones in the utter gentlest manner he had ever felt from the boy. And yet the raven haired had wanted Kevin to turn around like an ignorant child and let it all happen!

This thought had been playing through Kevin's head since that day. Why had he been the one to save him, how ironic really, the victim saving the tyrant. Life was so unexpected; it always had a funny way of making these types of things happen. Why? _Everything happens for a reason_ Kevin remembered his father's words. Now it was just up to him to find out the why of it all.

The red head sadden suddenly remembering his grandfather. Grandpa Barr had committed suicide back when little Kevin was about 12, and poor old man was beginning to become depressed and rambled about how he was going to become a bigger burden on Kevin's father. One morning Grandma Barr had realized that the man had taken pills and had died in his sleep during the night. Since then Kevin had a hard time understanding his grandpa's reasoning behind us actions, it was the most selfish thing he could have done leaving the family with an emotional scar. Kevin knew that he was in a better place now and hopefully in peace, however Eddward was different he was young he had his entire life ahead of him.

The ginger knew his bully seemed to be struggling with something to have caused him to take such an extreme measure. But what was he hiding? How could Kevin get close enough to help out? He knew this wasn't going to be easy, and so far it sure wasn't. Every time he tried to approach the raven haired would disappear, threaten him or send his dummies after Kevin.

Hell, this was a suicide mission in itself. Eddward was not going to let him help any time soon, but for the mean time he had to try. Kevin had to put up with the bully's stupid method of forcing him to back off. It wasn't new to the ginger anyway, and he knew even if he did comply it would all remain the same, except his conscious would be unsettled.

Kevin sighed exasperated, he knew he couldn't let Eddward go through with it, it wasn't right. The raven haired had so much potential, he was top of the entire school for Christ. He just couldn't understand, the ginger himself was going through enough in his life as it was and he hadn't made any attempts to end his life, so why did Eddward want to?

"Uuuuh" Kevin whined from the headache he was receiving once again. He couldn't ignore something like this, life knew it and that's why it had put him in this situation. The ginger just hoped he wouldn't give up on Eddward. No matter how much he wanted to help, this was an effort done by both parties and if Eddward didn't want to cooperate there wasn't much left for little Kevin to help with.

The red head didn't know how he was going to survive, but he knew one way or another he just had to.

Eddward wasn't going to break him so easily.

...

* * *

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to this Monday! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	11. Chapter 11

There was a victim. They all heard the following day due to the rumors that spread rapidly fast throughout the school. It was a poor freshman, a boy who had gotten the guts to try and expose Eddward and his gang. Apparently he had been dared to, and like most freshman he got cocky. Clearly not knowing his place in the school system yet, but surely now knew.

That poor miserable boy, how much pain must he be in this moment lying in his hospital bed. Surely he had sworn to not give any detail on the persecutors that had put him in the hospital, or else the gang wouldn't been roaming freely at school so openly and the kid would not have survived.

Kevin held Nazz's hand with a tight grip, not letting her off his sight or grasp for a moment. At these times the school was dangerous, at these times the gang had overwhelming power over the entire student body. It was a mine zone, any small miss step and everything could erupt.

"See, this is why I don't want you to go and say something" Kevin whispered to his best friend when he knew they were in safety of eavesdropper's.

"Kevin I know, but somebody has to do it" she whispered back "... And the day I do I'll make sure not to get caught, I promise"

Kevin huffed irritated "You can't promise. Nazz you have no idea what these guys can do to you, look at the freshman, and look at me!" He lowered his voice when he noticed people walking by gossiping about the tragic event.

Nazz held Kevin's freckled hands gently "It's never going to end like this Kev... I can't let this go on forever, and it will certainly not"

Kevin stared at her, _how can she be so brave_ he wondered. Nazz was a petite girl yet she had so much fight in her it was admirable. With a sigh Kevin gave a reassuring tight to her hands "Fine, but we're in on this together no matter what alright?" He smiled at her.

Nazz facial feature lit up with excitement and joy "Definitely" she whispered back.

...

Walking to his locker to return a textbook he noticed a piece of paper that slightly peeked out of it. He knew exactly what it was.

Indeed another invitation, elegantly written personally by the king of sharks himself.

Kevin wondered if Eddward often did this to his other victims, leave a note that is. It was hard to seriously consider the note being so threatening when each and every curve of a letter seemed to have been delicately engraved by the hand of an angel. Just where had Eddward learn to write this beautiful?

Neatly folding the note he placed it in his pocket, and went a long as normal as possible. Anxiety starting to creep us spine as he realized he had been called after a victim... That was never a good sign. He was sure to get it good today. The gang must be full of frustration this moment, and what better way than to use their favorite punching bag right?

"Geez" the ginger sighed out looking around his surroundings feeling a bit paranoid. And praying it wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

.

.

.

He thought wrong.

He had walked out into the field where the note had demanded him to and saw there was no one around. Looking through his surroundings he thought about leaving or maybe they were, uh late...? No, of course not they never were when it came to their 'appointments'. He had a chance to escape, and it was now or never. Yet if he did he knew it wouldn't mean any good for him down the road.

He turned around at the sound of footsteps. It was Jimmy and Johnny, the J's he and Nazz called them. They slowly walked towards the ginger expressing a playful threatening smirk. Unfortunately it was too late to run away if he wanted to.

Before he knew it his collar was instantly grabbed by Jimmy "Look who it is. I suppose we'll be having some extra fun today now won't we?" He smiled at the ginger.

Kevin's eyes roamed towards Johnny who was disgustingly pleased from his sheer excitement. He turned once again searching for a familiar black clothed figure, there was none. "W-Where is Eddward?" He hesitantly asked.

Jimmy's grin widen "Who knows, doesn't matter though does it, now we can have our way of fun and not hold anything back, right Johnny" he called back to his companion who simply smiled and shook his head tightly holding a piece of wood.

 _Yes it does matter you buffoon_ Kevin thought at the fact the goons seemed to not know anything about their captains...current events.

Jimmy chuckled at Kevin's sudden reaction "You masochistic homo, what, do you like having our captain watch you get beat up? I'll send him your regards for next time"

"You fucking don't know shit" Kevin mumbled under his breath. Regrettably for him the blond was able to hear him and grabbed a hold of his long bangs forcing him to look up.

"What was that you twig?" Jimmy frowned pulling tighter and tighter on Kevin's hair.

"FUCK!" Kevin yelped "I SAID YOU DON'T FUCKING KNOW SHIT" he then spat Jimmy on the face which earned him a kick to his stomach. The kick forcing to fall down on the ground and painfully ripped his hair in the process.

With teary eyes he looked up, strings of his orange hair hanging from the blonde's fist. He had done it now...

.

.

.

He was left on the ground with excruciating pain. He highly doubted he was going to make it back in time before his dad arrived home. He didn't even know if he could walk for Christ sake.

Chest aching from his panting, he tried to breath slower but his heart was pumping rapidly from the adrenaline of the pain. He fluttered his eyes open and closed them again several times, and each time he did that he noticed the sky becoming darker and darker. He was screwed this time for sure.

His dad would find out, the school would find out, and he would be lying in his grave within the next 2 days for sure. He had tried to last long at least.

The weak boy heard a faint sound seemingly to be the crushing of grass. After a moment he gently opened his eyes once again. A tall blurry figure stood before him, and all he could focus on was the blue orbs that stared directly down at him. Beautiful really, he could easily get lost in them. It was like getting lost at sea and never to return. That would be nice, a simple life exploring the ocean and all its hidden secrets. Oh what a life that would be. Peaceful.

Taking one last breath he sighed out gingerly and closed his eyes again. Feeling his body be lifted up by slim strong hands, he then felt light, like he was floating in air. The air smelled nice, cool on his cheeks and giving off a refreshing scent. A scent he had smelled before, but couldn't seem to place his finger on it. Instead he decided to lean his body into the welcoming scent, his entire chest felt warm. This unidentifiable warmness made him feel secure and the petite ginger let out a small sigh of relief.

For now he had no worries, for now he had nothing to be anxious about. The boy smiled softly because for now it was all ok… and he let his mind slip into sleep.

…

* * *

 ** _Oh i wonder what's gonna happen next? :3_**

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to this Friday! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	12. Chapter 12

It's was not ok, nothing was ok. Oh god everything was terrible, he was not ok, and THIS was not ok. His mind screamed as the ginger stared up at familiar dim blue orbs.

"Don't move too much you imprudent worm" Eddward's icy voice rang through his ears, noticing that the tall boy sat next to him. His eyes followed down Eddward's arm and realized that his hand lay on top of his stomach pinning him down. There were band aids all over his bare chest, terror creeping up to his mind from the cold touch of Eddward's fingers.

His eyes then wondered around noticing he was lying on a cream colored couch. There were plain white walls surrounding them, a carpet, and coffee table. He recognized he was in a living room, more specifically in a home although most certainly not his own.

The ginger worriedly looked back up to meet his bully's eyes, confusion showing in his own olive ones. "I drove you here after my reckless fools left you nearly immobile. We couldn't have that could we?" The raven haired boy looked down to his hand that was on top of a forming bruise on the ginger's rib cage and slightly pressed down.

"I-Is this you're h-hou—AH" Kevin squeaked shutting his eyes tightly, his hands flying down to grab Eddward's. "Please don't it hurts…" he weakly pleaded tearing up a bit.

"Have you had enough already?" Eddward slightly lessened his pressure on Kevin's chest feeling the smaller boy's trembling hands. He lazily looked from his hand to the boys fearful green eyes.

"W-what do you mean?" Kevin gasped out trying not to yelp in pain. His hand tightly holding on to Eddward's hand trying to take it off the bruise.

Eddward then pressed down slightly again waiting for a response from the ginger. "Are you willing to forget now, because I hope you know next time I won't be so kind" he let his hand come to a rest.

Kevin slowly panted continuing to grip the bully's hand "I...I hope you know...I'm not drop...ing it." He sighed in relief when he felt the pain begin to subside.

The raven haired boy sighed in irritated "You're an annoyance… Tell your parent's you're staying over with Nazz, before they wonder where you are" he stood to grab Kevin's backpack and threw it next to the boy. Kevin looked up at Eddward in even more confusion and curiosity. "You clearly can't move you imbecile" he replied with impatience to the ginger's expression.

"R-Right…Kevin sat up slightly wincing as pain shot through his chest, and reached to grab his cell phone. He never kept it on him for fear of it being broken during one of his encounters with the gang. He searched through his messages as a way to distract himself for a second as anxiety began to take over his mind, and he began to fear that Eddward would end him right there and then. Was the guy really capable of murder? He hoped not.

Quickly the ginger sent his father a text telling him that Nazz had insisted on their usual study sleep overs. He hesitantly looked back up "Okay…" he awkwardly spoke out, lying back down and looking at his chest counting how many wounds and scars he had, just to have something to occupy his mind from his fear. "Um…what about your parents?" He asked realizing it should be around time for them to be home.

Eddward glanced back to see the ginger unsteady, his eyes and mind clearly engaged on thoughts of his wounded chest. The raven haired then scoffed at the question the boy asked and looked back through his window answering indifferently "They won't be coming".

Kevin raised his eyes to see Eddward be illuminated by the moonlight, he figured it was still early but the moon shined bright nevertheless. His eyes roamed over the figure realizing how slim the boy truly was taking note only now that the bully wasn't wearing his usual black jacket. Although he wasn't completely thin he did have some muscle, it was clear on his broad shoulders and biceps. "…are they on a trip or something?" he asked wanting to get his fear out of his mind. As the ginger continued to stare he noticed the boy continued to wear his black striped beanie in his own home, was it because he was there?

Eddward turned his attention back to Kevin as he heard the ginger's phone beep from a notification. "Something like that" he caught the boys observant emerald eyes. He could tell there was much curiosity in them…he'd have to change that. "What does it say" he demanded.

"Oh uh…" the ginger quickly looked back down at his phone seeing his father reply in his usual teasing tone. His face turned somewhat red from his father ridiculous assumptions once again he stuttered out "U-Um, e-everything's fine…" he quickly typed a reply and tried to hide his phone from sight.

The boy was hiding something and Eddward knew it. In a couple of steps he was standing over Kevin trying to snatch the phone away. "You're lying, let me see" he bent down with his knee overlapping Kevin's.

"NO, NO it's nothing I swear" he pushed his phone underneath him.

"What did you say Barr!" Eddward grabbed Kevin's neck slightly choking him.

"NOTHING! I-I didn't say anything b-but what you told me to s-say" The ginger coughed out finally releasing his phone in order to grab Eddward's hand in attempt to get him to let him loose, terrified he might actually choke him.

Rapidly with his free hand Eddward grabbed the phone and read through the messages keeping his other hand and knee on Kevin.

You better use condoms boy, you hear me!

Pft… Eddwards chuckled out "As if you would have the balls to bang a girl you petty minnow" he dropped the phone back on the couch and let go of Kevin's neck standing up again.

Gasping for air Kevin sat up as once again feeling pain blast through him. He groaned holding his chest "I...I told you it was nothing" He breathed out angrily. Kevin placed his phone back inside of his backpack and stared after Eddward who sat in a seat across from him. The gingers face still cherry red face from both the embarrassment and the choking "Do you think that uh…I'll be better tomorrow?" he asked desperately wanting to just go home.

Eddward leaned back on the seat staring out the window again "Most likely…" was all he said before he rubbed at his temple. After a couple of minutes of awkward silence he stood up and made his way up the stairs.

Kevin watched the tall boy disappear behind a door and was left alone in the dark living room. He looked around for his shirt and sweater but found neither. Just his hat lay on the coffee table. He then noticed a chocolate brown blanket laid over the edge of the couch. The boy hesitantly grabbed the blanket and covered himself feeling cold. He then laid back down and only then did Kevin realized he had been resting on a small pillow, huh how did he not notice that before… right he was scared as shit.

The rest of the night he could barely sleep, questions, questions, so many question brewing up in his mind. As well as fear, he would be crazy to let his guard down in the presence of Eddward Vincent, especially in his own territory. Everything was just so dark, even with the moon's light brightening half of the room, and the atmosphere felt oddly…sad? Hm.

Eddward had had the chance to kill him, while he was found unconscious, so why hadn't he taken the opportunity? Odd, it was very odd. Maybe he was exaggerating and the man wouldn't actually go to such lengths…right? Kevin let his worn-out body get enveloped in the warmth of the blanket and the comfort of the soft pillow. Both having the same scent that had lulled him earlier, and once again before he knew it he had fallen asleep

…

* * *

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to this Friday! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	13. Chapter 13

When Kevin awoke, his body was extremely sore, his bruises more apparent and his hair a complete mess. He reached to trace some of the scars in his chest and realized just how cold his skin was. The boy looked to the side to see his surroundings and noticed that next to his hat were his shirt and sweater neatly folded in a pile. Right on top of them was a small note written in that elegant handwriting Kevin recognized oh so well.

It instructed him to leave immediately after he woke up. This left little Kevin feeling uneasy, and wondered if he should follow the demand or stay to at least...thank him. As oddly as that sounded, and it was very very odd, he knew it was the right thing. However knowing Eddward he would have his head if he found him still in the house.

So he decided to do the next best thing. He grabbed his shirt and buttoned it up, then his sweater and gingerly pulled it over his head warmly enveloping his small frame in the comfortable fabric. The boy winced at the action, yep still hurt. He reached for his hat and slipped it on, some sadness coming over him realizing his three long strings of hair would no longer fall in front of his eyes. Well at least for now until his hair grew again. He'd have to get a haircut before he arrived home, thank god it was Saturday.

The ginger boy grabbed a pen from his backpack and wrote on the back of the small note in his own messy handwriting a simplethanks. It was weird; this entire situation was weird and left the boy with voices in head screaming out questions.

Kevin stood up and folded the blanket, placed the pillow on top and gathered his things. He looked around the living room one last time but the only thing that caught his eye was the sole picture of a raven haired woman. She looked much like Eddward quite frankly, she must have been his mother. The woman had the same ocean blue eyes, the same thin striking black hair, the only difference were their skin tones. She was pale and he was tan, probably from his father's side Kevin thought. She was a very beautiful woman, seemed very kind at least from the picture.

His olive eyes ripped from the picture and made their way up the stairs to the door in which he had seen his bully disappear into last night. The boy was extremely uneasy, so many questions he wanted to ask. However he knew for now he had to let it go, that had to be for another day.

Kevin then opened the door and stepped out.

.

.

.

The ginger boy was slammed against his locker by a tall blond. The blond snickered and motioned to his bald companion. It had become the usual routine that the J's would find him whenever they felt like it and beat him slightly before school and then have their way after school ended. For days now, their Captain hadn't shown up to their appointments. Eddward wasn't seen with his goons anymore and the only times he saw the guy was in his AP Biology class as indifferent as ever.

Somehow Kevin couldn't settle on being calm after being in the bully's house two weeks ago and somehow since he felt much more aware of Eddward's piercing stare from anytime he bumped into the tall raven hair around school.

Yet nothing from Eddward had come, he would cut of his stare when he looked back, no elegantly written note, no nothing. The J's although continued to beat him up as if nothing was out of the ordinary, however they were more brutal than they had used to be. It was like Eddward's presence had been holding them back from doing too much.

Kevin was torn, he wanted to badly go up to his bully and ask all sorts of questions. Constantly he questioned everything; the ginger couldn't focus on anything anymore it was becoming an obsession or rather desperation. The boy didn't know what to do with himself; it was all driving him crazy. He was beginning to slowly break from the J's constant beatings; he was beginning to have enough. It was never as bad when Eddward was around. Would Eddward lash out on him if he did get close, if he did ask? Was this all on purpose to make him ignore what happened?

As he slid down the locker from yet another harsh shove he watched Jimmy and Johnny leave laughing along. He noticed a paper fall down from the wall a few feet away from him, it seemed to be announcing something big. He sat up straighter and reached for the paper and realized it was the announcement for Friday's big swim meet against their usual rivaling school. Kevin read through the paper carefully noting down the date and time, this was a perfect chance. The ginger smiled folding the paper and placing it inside his backpack.

...

* * *

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to this Friday! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	14. Chapter 14

The boy cried and cried… his tears stained his cheeks and redden his shaking eyes. He felt his body engulfed in loneliness and his heart becoming a vacuum. Cold air roamed inside his chest. The only functioning organ in his vessel was his brain causing him a painful headache from all the voices in his head screaming at him.

 _Why are you alone?_ They asked _"_ I don't remember..."

 _Why aren't your parents' home? By your side...comforting you...loving you?_ They asked "I don't know..."

 _Because you're Ill_ , they called. "If I'm ill why haven't I been taken to a doctor?"

 _Because you're WORTHLESS,_ they raised their voice. "How can I help? I'm only a child...but I'll do my best, I'll help somehow..."

 _BECAUSE YOU'RE A BURDEN,_ they yelled at him. "Then why was I born?"

The boy's body trembled uncontrollably as soft sobs began to slip through his lips. They wouldn't shut up; they wouldn't stop repeating the same things. "WHY WAS I BORN!" He screamed back desperately needing an answer. He closed his eyes tightly, and one hand pulled his knees tightly against his chest while the other pulled at his hair trying to somehow rip the voices out.

He felt something wet his knee and opened his eyes.

A small red drop slid down his leg.

There was pain…so much pain.

The boy reached up to his head, and felt a thin open gash of flesh from his forehead to his scalp. He was bleeding.

 _How did you get that wound again?_

 _._

 _._

 _._

It felt has if Friday had taken forever to arrive, but once the day had come Kevin was feeling quite antsy. He kept looking at the clock every five seconds, just praying for the school day to be over. Kevin knew that today was the perfect day to try and talk with Eddward. The bully would be on his good side today, because it was certain he would win our school yet another trophy.

As terrifying as the raven haired was, the entire student body knew that he was their schools main star during these competitions making even the football team pout in jealousy. Eddward loved it all. It was thanks to him that this small town's belittled school had finally gotten some fame, they were finally respected.

 _If only Eddward took that power for good..._ Kevin sighed looking down at the random doodle he was drawing in the corner of his worksheet. The class was silent making the time go by so painfully slow that Kevin was about to rip his hair out. He had so many questions for his tormentor that needed to be answered and no matter what today he was going to get some answers even if Eddward didn't want to.

The bell announcing the end of the school day seemed to sound louder than usual, and everyone rushed to get ready for the swim meet. Kevin knew Nazz never came, it was all about Eddward to begin with and to be honest he never did as well. They usually left arm in arm to Nazz's place to hang out, never once had they had any interest in all the exaggerated rumors of Eddward's wins during a meet. The school called him the king of sharks, but never had Kevin come to see what the rumors were all about. I mean, why would Kevin ever find interest in something the demon that haunted him did?

So before school ended Kevin sent a quick text, letting her know he had to do some chores for the day and wouldn't be able to go along to her place. He knew the goons wouldn't do anything; they always went to the meets only because after they surely would be invited to some junk party and get wasted. However rumors had it that even though the parties were to 'celebrate' Eddward's wins, the star himself was never there. He always stayed behind until everyone left. What was he up to? No one knew.

Kevin followed the big crowd of students into the schools natatorium. Already over half the seats had been filled, leaving Kevin to squirm his way through the crowd trying to find a good spot. He decided to take a seat in the front well knowing that he was shorter than most kids his age and would struggle to see the action. It was his fist time witnessing this so called epicenes.

First the rivaling team came into view taking their place and the crowd died down once the Eddward and his team stepped out. Kevin was beginning to become excited as the crowd whispered, and the air began to tense. One by one the swimmers took their place, and slowly the competition between the two schools tensed up. Peach creek would win some and the rivaling school would win others, and through this entire meet Eddward stood still with his arms crossed, extremely observant of each and every swimmer. Kevin could tell that the raven haired was calculating every one of their moves, their thought process even. Although the teen came to notice something in Eddward's expression, no rather in his eyes...something seemed off, was it anger? No it was something else as well...Hm.

Finally it came time for Eddward to compete and he stepped up to the pool along with another. Kevin held his breath because he swore to god that for a mere second Eddward seemed to have made eye contact with him. The tall boy was aware of his presence and that scared the hell of little Kevin of what was to come after this meet was done.

The swimmers focused intently at the water ahead of them as they took their positions. The moment they heard their green light they dashed into the water. Kevin's mouth fell open as he witnessed the most amazing thing in the world, the moment Eddward touched the water he had transformed. The boy's posture was elegant as ever yet held such a force that made him look like the most powerful being around. Magic was happening right in front of the gingers eyes as he saw the boy's muscles working pushing through the water, or rather the water was working along with him. He was dominating, he was in control, and he was in his element. Eddward had become the king of the sea, well, they didn't call him the king of sharks for nothing.

The slim boy was fast, he was strong, and he was precise. In mere seconds he was what seemed like miles ahead of his rival. Before Kevin knew it the raven haired boy had stepped out of the water bringing a towel over his wet form waiting for the other to finish.

The entire audience erupted in cheering and clapping. Kevin was in awe, with his mouth wide open. _What was THAT!_ His mind screamed. Only now did the ginger understand how Eddward Vincent was respected by the Peach Creek athletes. This boy was truly gifted.

With that the meet was over and everyone began to leave all cheering for yet another rad party at who knows place. Kevin stayed still waiting for everyone to leave, not in much of a rush knowing Eddward was said to always leave last. Around 7 minutes later he saw the team members of peach creek swim team make an exit as well all laughing along. Kevin then stood up, walking up to the locker room door and stood waiting. His nerves beginning to get the better of him, _was this a good idea?_ He questioned feeling his heart beating faster and faster.

Yet minutes passed and no sign of the bully. Kevin was sure everyone had left for sure, and feared maybe Eddward had left through the back. The ginger began to panic debating to walk into the room or not, he didn't want to make Eddward angry, although he probably was going to anyways. "Fuck it..." He signed and stepped into the locker room.

Just like the teen had thought, there was no sign of anyone else in the room, solely for the faint sound of water running. Kevin walked around looking to see if the bully was still around, and when he saw a closed shower stall he figured the boy must be inside. He debated once again thinking if he should go back outside, and give the bully his privacy but heard movement within the stall and saw the figure sit down on the floor. Confused Kevin stayed still; the boy was clearly still in his swim attire.

Ever so slowly he saw red begin to spread throughout the floor washing away with the running water. Kevin's heart stopped, he eyes flew wide open, noticing there was a lot of it... And he knew what _it_ was.

"EDDWARD" he screamed rushing to the stall and trying to open it, but finding it was locked.

"Leave you damned imbecile..." The chilling voiced called out from behind. Kevin knew for sure the boy must be rolling his eyes.

"Eddward god damn it you're bleeding! Open up!" the ginger tried his best to shake the door open "You're gonna bleed to death you idiot!"

Kevin heard Eddward sigh in annoyance "Then I guess this is your lucky day Minnow"

"Damn it you bastard let me help for god's sake!" He pounded his small fist against the door irritated at the bully. The ginger looked down, and for once in his life thank god for his tiny figure. He knew he could fit under the stall perfectly. Kevin took his back pack off and threw it aside bending down on the floor to crawl under the door.

What he saw chilled him to the bone. Eddward was sitting in the floor with the utter calmest expression while both his wrist had been cut into and were bleeding. He quickly slid up and grabbed Eddward's wrists. The tiny ginger began trembling, with many more questions and concerns running through his head. He tried to open his mouth to say something but was speechless. Instead he looked up to meet the teens blue eyes, they were observant, calm, and there was a hint of...a tear?

Kevin stood up and turned off the running water, bending down to grab at Eddward's arms again "...Please let me help..." The boy pleaded as his own olive orbs began to become teary. Somehow Eddward's expression softened slightly and he sighed once again as he complied and let the ginger help him stand up. Kevin then took off his hat and sweater throwing them on top of the stall. He took his shirt off as well ripping it into two and placing it on the boy's wrist and pressing down at the wound hoping they would stop bleeding.

Feeling some of his tears begin to escape from his eyes he quietly asked "Is there a first aid in the office?"

"It's locked already..." Eddward's cool voiced answered back.

Kevin then looked up to meet Eddward's stare "Then let's get you home...?" He somewhat asked waiting for the taller boy's approval.

"Do you drive?" The raven haired asked holding his stare.

"Yeah" Kevin responded.

"My keys are in the back pocket of my pants" he gestured outside to the lockers.

Kevin quickly rushed out of the stall to an open locker with Eddward's belongings inside and began looking for the keys. He took out Eddward's small backpack opening it up and placing the folded pants and shirt inside the bag. He turned towards the stalls and saw the boy walking up to him still pressing down on the wounds, and he handed Eddward his black jacket. The ginger watched the boy gingerly slip it on, and realized he was bare as well and went over to grab his oversized sweater and hat and put them on. Uh they were damp.

Grabbing his own back pack and Eddward's, they both made their way out of the school trying to avoid any possible teachers, students, and janitors that might still have been roaming the halls. Following Eddward to the parking lot in the back of the school Kevin's anxieties began to take over him with every step he took. Why was Eddward so calm! He was still bleeding!

Hesitantly Kevin opened the driver's door to Eddward's black car and watched the other teen get in as well. The gingers body began to tremble at the sight of his own what used to be white shirt engulfed in a dark shade of red. He reached over to help the taller boy put on the seat belt and then put on his own. He started the car, and tightly held onto the wheel trying to calm his nerves, there was just so much blood and it wasn't even that deep of a cut. Yet somehow Eddward didn't seem disturbed in the slightest, like it was such a normal thing for him.

Feeling a slim cold hand on top if his, Kevin followed the arm to meet ocean blue eyes, and for a moment his mind had gotten lost. "Breathe Barr, you're going to get us in an unnecessary accident with your nerves" Eddward looked so collected, yet Kevin could tell he was beginning to feel faint as his skin began to pale from the loss of blood. So Kevin complied and breathed in and out slowly relaxing his grip on the wheel. "Ok, I'll give you directions as you go, just head for the west side of town."

Kevin nodded and began to drive out of the school following the directions as he was told. The drive seemed so slow and painful to the tiny ginger, and with every red light they hit he hissed under his breath. Somehow just as his anxieties began to creep again, Eddward's voice made sure to calm him back down with a simple direction. Kevin repeated the direction in his head until Eddward said another just to keep his mind focused on something other than the fact that the boy next to him seemed to start to drift off.

Turning into a neighbor Kevin immediately recognized the tall white home and pulled up. He stopped the car, took off his seat belt and turned to Eddward undoing his. "Eddward we're here" he slightly shook the boys shoulder. Once the boy opened his eyes as a response Kevin got out of the car and went over to the other side to try and help him out and walk. Kevin was a tiny guy, and it took him all his strength to make himself become a crutch for the taller boy to lean on.

The ginger slipped under Eddward for a moment to open the door to the house. Immediately he hugged the raven haired again and helped him inside. "Upstairs first door to the left..." The slim teen groaned out. Kevin followed and ever so slowly made their way up the stairs.

Stepping inside the room, Kevin got chills; the room was so cold even for it being spring. He help the boy sit on the bed and looked at his wrists, they had seemed to have finally stopped bleeding. Kevin sighed in relief "W-where is your kit?" He asked looking around the room.

Eddward closed his eyes again "Down the hall, bathroom, inside a right cabinet" he sighed tiredly.

Nodding Kevin rushed out the room and down the hall. He peeked inside the door and once confirming it was in fact the bathroom he stepped inside and began his search for the kit. Not more than 5 minutes later Kevin was back inside Eddward's bedroom.

He saw the raven haired boy lying down on the bed and seemed to be asleep. He placed the kit on the bed and nervously sat next to the boy "Eddward..." He called out in a whisper and got no response. Kevin then opened the kit and gently started pouring some alcohol into cotton. He gently grabbed Eddward's right arm and pulled his sleeve up. The teen felt his anxieties start again at the sight of the cut. _Why did he do this? Wasn't he alright? He just won our school yet another competition, so why? Why?_ His eyes began to tear up again as he softly tapped the cotton onto the wound. _Why would he do this to himself?_ Kevin tears finally fell when noticing the faint scars all over the boy's arms.

The ginger saw the hand he was holding tear away from his grasp and held his shaking hand tightly instead. He looked up to the raven haired boy with concern. "Breathe" Eddward said again watching the ginger through his tired lidded eyes. Kevin wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater and started to clean the wound again, sniffing here and then. Once done he put a Band-Aid on and moved to the other side of the boy to clean the other wound.

When the ginger had finished Eddward had already fallen fast asleep, Kevin placed the kit and his own hat on the night stand and quietly made his way down stairs. He went to grab their back packs from the car and closed the door. Placing the bags in the living room he grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to his father, lying once again of his whereabouts. He recognized a blanket that was folded lying on the couch as the one he had been covered with the last time he was here. Grabbing the blanket he made his way back upstairs into Eddward's room.

He unfolded the blanket and covered Eddward's sleeping body. He sat on the desk chair and looked out the window, it was a lovely view. It was still pretty early, the sun was still high up in the sky. Slowly he began to flutter his eyes closed until he had also fallen asleep.

...

Hearing faint whimpers; the tiny ginger opened his eyes again. His heart stopping for a moment realizing he wasn't in his own room, before the memories flooded his brain and he relaxed. He noticed the sky had darkened now and the stars were beginning to show.

Hearing the same whimpers Kevin turned towards the sound. His eyes went wide with concern as he saw Eddward shivering under the blanket, was it because he had slept in his swim wear? Kevin hoped the boy hadn't gotten sick. He stood up and quietly walked over to the boy.

The raven haired seemed to be having some sort of nightmare. Kevin saw the boy tightly grip at his hair from under his black striped beanie, and his lips muttering words Kevin couldn't seem to make out. The ginger sat down on the bed and placed a hand on the boys shoulder "Hey Eddward...it's alright" he whispered trying to calm the boy.

Before he knew it Eddward's eyes had flew opened and reached up to grab Kevin by the neck pulling him down. The raven haired tightly gripped the gingers neck, eyes filled with anger and tears "LIAR!" He yelled out. Kevin immediately had his trembling hands tightly gripping Eddward's, as he gasped out trying to take in air so he wouldn't suffocate.

"E-Edd...ward!" he choked out as he pulled at the boys hands desperately, his feet slightly kicking at the boy on top. At the sound of the boy's voice Eddward's eyes seem to focus on the boy beneath him. Realization hitting him of who he was choking, he relaxed then releasing Kevin.

Kevin gasped out for air and coughed feeling his lungs hurt. He grabbed at his sweater trying to relax, his gaze looking over to the boy next to him who had his face hidden in his hands. After some minutes Kevin felt air enter his lungs comfortably once again and gently sat up looking at the boy. Hesitantly reached a hand to the raven haired but stopped before they touched and pulled back looking down at his trembling freckled hand. He was afraid.

They shared a long moment of silence in the dark room, Kevin trying to relax and Eddward quietly whimpering. "Sorry..." Eddward's cool voiced whispered out "...I confused you..." He sighed.

Kevin could tell the slight shake of sadness in the boy voice as he spoke "It's..." He began to speak but was afraid of triggering something again. Instead he stayed silent looking up at the boy sitting next to him. Questions, so many questions storming his brain as he saw the heart tearing expression on Eddward's face, but now wasn't the time. He finally felt relaxed and confident enough to reach and hold Eddward's hand tightly in his own.

They stayed silent for the longest time, both consumed in their own thoughts and appreciating the warmth of the other. As the moon began to brightly shine through the darkness of the sky the boys began to drift back to sleep leaning against one another.

For the first time in years Eddward felt warm.

...

* * *

 **Have you guys figured out who the boy in the "flashbacks" is?**

 **I believe this will be the last one of them, i plan on making a small comic on Tumblr for all the flashbacks.**

 **Well i believe this ride has finally taken off,**

 ** _Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to this Monday! :3_**

 ** _BTW i am taking requests for Kevedd drawing ideas on Tumblr, so head on over and leave your lovely requests! (Arielagam)_**

 ** _Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo_**


	15. Chapter 15

**_Well what a dramatic way to leave you hanging for 2 weeks! muahaha i'm sorry... lol_**

 ** _i've been SUPER busy, i'm getting ready to finally travel back home to Washington next monday, so i'm trying to get ALOT of things done._**

 ** _Anyways i needed sometime to try and get ahead on chapters, but alas here is chapter 15_**

 ** _Hope you enjoy it!_**

* * *

Eddward felt warmth underneath him and instinctually moved closer to the source desperately needing to get away from the cold air that roamed through the room. This was such an alien feeling to the boy, usually he would wake up feeling cold and no matter how many blankets he'd piled over he just could never get warm. He wondered if it might possibly be that this year's spring was warmer. It didn't matter any way he was finally warm and that was that. The raven haired decided to instead envelope the source closer to him falling asleep once again before he woke himself up. He was still filled with much sleepiness.

Sensing a shift of movement next to him the boy fluttered his eyes open trying to see what it was. Instantly he began to panic seeing a bare tan chest in front of him, and realized he was trapped against the body in the other's arms. Looking down he saw that their hands were still intertwined with one another and blushed at the sight. Kevin didn't know what to do, his body stiffening at the thought of the bully's reaction when he woke up.

The ginger peeked over Eddward's body and saw that it was still pretty early the sun only now beginning to come out. Deciding it was best not to be awake when the other awoke he closed his eyes, a task that at first seemed impossible for Kevin. His fear creeping up inside of his chest thinking of the possibility that Eddward could lash out like the previous night. The ginger couldn't just leave the raven haired now, especially not after the events from the previous day. Eventually however with the soft breathing from the other on his hair and with the familiar relaxing scent invading his nose, Kevin was lulled back to sleep.

.

.

.

About two hours later the raven haired boy finally opened his eyes slowly, stiffening as he felt a small body pressed against his. He looked down and saw a bright head of orange hair instantly making last night's events play through his mind. Eddward lifted the arm that was draped over the gingers sleeping form and looked at the bandages. His wrists were still sore and seemed to have bruised around the area. He ran his fingers through his hair underneath his beanie sighing a bit tiredly.

The tall boy was conflicted about his current situation, part of him wanted to get up and shove Kevin out onto the streets. Eddward was outraged the ginger had found and interfered with him once again. At the same time he wanted to pull the boy closer and take in his warmth. It had been the first time he had seen someone shed tears over his well-being.

The raven haired decided to do neither and just stayed still observing the rising and falling chest of the ginger. The small teen was sound asleep, his lips slightly opened and drooling. Yuck, Eddward reached for the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the drool off from the boy's cheek.

This scene was so peculiar to the raven haired; it had been years since he had woken up next to another human being. His room had always felt cold, even during the summer's hottest nights. Today however his bed was warm and the tall teen just wanted to close his eyes and never wake up from this feeling. However his mind was extremely conflicted about the small sleeping ginger that lay underneath him.

...

Sleepily the smaller teen fluttered his eyes open seeing the strong sun rays bursting through the window. He felt something amiss and noticed Eddward was nowhere in sight. He sat up yawning as he stretched his sore limps. The red head noticed a small yellow sticky note placed next to him and read it over.

 _There's an extra toothbrush in the restroom, use it..._

Kevin chuckled to himself at the thought of how Eddward was so hygienic despite his intimidating appearance. Maybe he just wanted to be nice, the boy did find the fact that he woke up in bed weird, he was sure he'd be woken up to a harsh shove out the door. Kevin felt a bit uncomfortable because he wasn't sure how to approach the raven haired teen...normally? But what was normal between them?

In the meantime Kevin stood up and headed out the bedroom. When he opened the door he heard noise coming from down stairs and a very sweet smell as well making his stomach growl. He rushed into the bathroom feeling a bit embarrassed and occupied himself with brushing his teeth and fixing his messy orange hair a bit trying to distract himself from the fact that he had to face his bully in mere moments. Realization hit him as he had just stayed over at his tormentors place, and shared the same bed...Kevin closed his eyes and the cuts on Eddward's wrists flashed through his mind. _Maybe he isn't such a demon as he makes it out to seem, maybe it's just a form of...defense? But against who and why?_

Finally huffing and hugging his sweater closer to his chest filled with determination. He took one last look at his pathetic form in the mirror he stepped out of the restroom, and slowly made his way down stairs. The ginger heard faint sounds with in the kitchen and stopped mid-way down the stairs his hands shaking. Part of him wished Eddward would have just thrown him out the door, that way he wouldn't be preoccupied with this current situation. Yet part of him was pleased that Eddward had let him help yesterday, had let him stay. It was an improvement? The teen inhaled a deep breath and continued to make his way to where he believed was the kitchen.

Hesitantly stepping in, he saw Eddward sitting down on the table with a cup of tea in his hands. The ginger stood awkwardly in the doorway "...Morning..." He greeted and looked down at his feet feeling the piercing stare from the other.

"Morning...sit down" Eddward continued to sip at his tea and looked out his kitchen window seeing the quite neighborhood start their morning as well.

Kevin looked up and started slowly walking noticing there was a plate with scrambled eggs and toast placed. He looked up with raised eyebrows at the raven haired.

"Your stomach was growling this morning, decided to make breakfast... for yesterday..." The tall boy avoided eye contact as he spoke slowly.

Kevin blushed at the embarrassing comment and shifted on his feet a moment before muttering a simple thanks and sitting down. He stared at the plate that was oddly quite elegantly prepared and picked up a fork hesitantly taking a bite of the eggs, it couldn't be poisoned right? Maybe he was becoming ridiculous with his assumptions with the boy sitting in front of him. His eyes widened as his tongue tasted the great rich flavor of the eggs; Kevin had to force himself to hold back a soft moan. "As simple as it is, you're actually really good at cooking..." He complimented, surprised at finding yet another talent of Eddward's.

The ginger looked up to see the raven haired still averting his eyes and hiding a hint of blush behind his mug. Kevin smiled slightly, he was glad Eddward hadn't reacted badly to this peculiar morning. He quietly finished eating his food, taking a sip of the tea causing his eyes to fly open. Now this was something else "Woah this is great, what is it" he curiously took another sip.

"Secret" Eddward slyly answered standing up and picking up Kevin plate. He walked over to the sink and began washing them along with the rest of the dirtied dishes he had used. This was way too weird for the tall teen, and felt like he needed to occupy his hands with something, he needed to turn away from the ginger. But what was to come after this? Would he actually let Kevin, what help? Eddward felt a dark somber feeling creep through his chest at the word.

Kevin huffed looking out the window; the area was so quiet, so different compared to his own. There was no children running around, no music playing from the houses of the neighbor, nor adults gathering together for a hang out. It was so quiet compared his own that was always buzzing with laughing kids. He looked back to Eddward's figure noticing for the first time that he had changed into sweatpants and a black long sleeve shirt. Yet still wore the black striped beanie... _doesn't he ever take that thing off?_ Kevin thought taking another sip of his tea "You know, it was my first time watching you compete yesterday... You were honestly amazing" he stared at the taller boy.

"I noticed...why did you come? You've never came before..." Eddward asked still preoccupied with the dishes.

Kevin stiffened not sure how to answer the question "I uh...well, it doesn't really matter why I came right, I mean it was good that I did..."

Eddward paused and slightly turned his head "Why were you in the locker room minnow?"

Kevin stared down at his cup of tea debating how to answer knowing well enough that Eddward wasn't going to drop it until he got his answer. "I...I wanted to talk I guess" he lamely said.

"About?" Eddward raised his eyebrows now turning to the ginger sitting behind.

"...well uh about...about you..." Kevin hesitantly looked back up to meet the staring blue orbs. "And about that day I found you on the bridge..."

The raven haired sighed grabbing a towel to dry his hands "Are you really so stubborn Barr?" He leaned back on the counter crossing his arms.

Kevin felt scared in that moment, tightly holding the mug. Yet he knew they needed to get somewhere and talk "More than you..." He nervously chuckled out. He saw the taller teen roll his eyes and turned back to washing the rest of the dishes. Hesitantly he decided to finally ask something "Eddward...what happened yesterday?" He quietly spoke out praying Eddward wouldn't be angered.

Staying silent, the raven haired finished rinsing the dishes and putting them away to dry. Turning towards the awaiting ginger, he felt some anger begin to rise again. This boy had no right to question anything about him, so he didn't have any obligation to answer. "None of your business"

Kevin huffed, his shoulders releasing their stiffness "Please don't say that..." He tried to hold his stare strong "I really want to help you...honest to god"

"Why?" Eddward spat out, trying to calm down his anger as he began to grip the kitchen counter tightly feeling the somberness in his stomach begin to eat at him.

"Because...clearly your hurting Eddward..." The ginger saw the taller boy take a defensive pose, his body stiffening from anger. "I've had someone close to me suffer like you did and..." Kevin sighed "...I really don't want anyone else to go through that"

"Barr you know nothing about me, don't talk as if you know me" Eddward's knuckles were turning white at this point.

"I'm not saying I know you because obviously I don't, but I can see you're in pain." Kevin stated firmly.

"Drop it Barr" Eddward raised his voice slightly trying to intimidate the tiny teen.

"No I won't drop it Vincent" Kevin stood up now trying to defend his stance.

"I've told you already not to get involved with me!" Eddward stepped closer to the ginger.

"I can't just leave you not after yesterday!" Kevin pleaded

"Yesterday wasn't the fucking first time that happened, and I've dealt with it fine by myself!" Eddward walked up to Kevin grabbing him by the collar of his sweater. "I'm telling you now Barr, drop it" releasing the teen he turned and grabbed at his hair under his beanie feeling a painful headache coming.

"Eddward..." Kevin slowly stepped closer and saw the taller teen with eyes shut tightly and hands shaking faintly. Hesitantly the ginger reached for Eddward's other hand and held it tightly in his own trembling hand. "You know I'm not giving up on this... So please, please don't shut me out..."

"It's hard to imagine you giving a single damn about the person who has given you hell... Do you even care about me or are you just doing this solely for the memory of your beloved person?" Eddward opened his eyes staring straight at Kevin's.

Kevin stared back wide eyed and speechless. Did he actually care about Eddward, even after everything he's done to him and everyone else... _Of course, right?..._ "I...I..."Kevin stuttered not able to find the right words.

The raven haired lowered his hand that was gripping his hair and placed it on the gingers cheek, staring at him sadly. The smaller boy had hesitated "my presence in this life has no significance, no one will be affected...on the contrary it is better if I'm not here..."

Kevin stared into those ocean eyes trying to find if his words were of honesty because they were words much too sad to have been spoken. "H-how can you say that? What about your parents, family? What about you and your future Eddward!" Kevin gripped Eddward's hand tightly "You have so much to look forward to, your life might not be great now, but you have the power to change it for the better!"

"And change it I will...I live in a never ending hell Barr" Eddward broke away his eye contact looking at the faint scars on his hand "I don't have a family, haven't had one in years...why should I live a life I was never meant to live?"

"You..." Kevin was speechless again, his hand desperately holding onto Eddward's and trying to make sense of it all "Please let me help..." Was all he was able to speak as his heart began to tear apart at the sight of the broken boy in front of him "Please..." He pleaded.

"Why, you won't even care if I'm gone" The raven haired spat out a bit of annoyance coming back.

"How can I not care Eddward! You're another human being" Kevin held Eddward's other hand and looked down at them "How do you expect me to forget about what's happened? Yesterday...Yesterday I was so scared...I don't want to see you go through with that again... It's not right"

The ginger looked up to see the taller boy looking straight at him trying to find any sort of lies in them. He puffed his chest out trying to look more assure of himself even though inside he was tearing apart from their conversation. "I know you haven't been the best person, especially to me... But I am more than sure now that that attitude is a mask and you are clearly just trying to push everyone away...trying to protect yourself... So if you'll let me, I want to aid you in some way" he squeezed the taller boy hands.

The boy stood still in silence only the faint sounds of cars driving by the neighborhood. The ginger could tell the bully was heavily thinking this through and all he could do was hold a breath waiting for the boy's response.

"No..."

Kevin's hope shattered in to pieces seeing the crystal eyes slowly turning dim, and he knew Eddward was putting up his defenses. The raven haired pulled his hands from the ginger and began to step out of the kitchen "No, Eddward please you don't have to hide from me I won't tell anybody!" The ginger called after him.

Eddward stopped in his tracks and turned around reaching to grab at Kevin's neck. "Forget about it, about everything! I DONT WANT YOUR HELP OR YOUR PITY, I DONT NEED IT!" He slightly squeezed his hold on the smaller boy's neck.

Instantly feeling his neck grabbed Kevin began to panic the fear from last nights the terrifying memory coming back to him. "No...No please!" Was he pleading for Eddward to reconsider or for his freedom the ginger didn't know as he felt his anxiety surged through his brain. He desperately tugged on Eddward's hand wanting them to release his neck.

Seeing the desperate fear in the olive orbs Eddward instantly let the boy go "leave..." Was all the raven haired could manage staring down at the hand that griped the gingers neck.

Try his best to regain his composure, Kevin stood straight pushing his fear as far down as he could trying hard not to simply just run away. The ginger held his breath for a moment in attempt to keep his heart pounding against his chest, now wasn't the time for fear, he needed Eddward to see he wasn't afraid...but he was afraid and that was the truth. Kevin stared at the raven haired slumped shoulders and whispered out "I hope you know you can trust me..."

Eddward placed his hands in his pockets as a way to show he wouldn't do attempt an attack again. He wanted the ginger to stay, wanted nothing more than to feel that warmth again yet the somber feeling only reminded him that he had trusted people before who had heavily let him down. That warmth he desired was nothing but disappointment in the end. "I've put my trust in people like you, I'm not going to make the same mistake again" Eddward raised his eyes threateningly looking at a stunned ginger.

Seeing as Eddward had completely put up the wall, Kevin knew there wasn't much he could do... For today at least. He'd have to prove to Eddward he was trusted, that he wasn't like the others. He knew Eddward needed his time to think, hopefully he'd reconsider the next day "Fine I'll leave but I'm not giving up" smiling kindly Kevin stepped closer to the other "I'll keep pestering you, because I swear I'm not like those people who abandon you" Kevin HAD to get over his fear for Eddward he knew that, and that was where he needed to begin. Kevin held his breath waiting a mere second to search through those dark eyes and prayed he see some hope in them. If somehow there was the smallest fragment of hope it was covered by the cold stare. The smaller teen turned to grab his backpack from the living room and opened the door. He turned around "I do care, even if you don't" with that the teen stepped out leaving the raven haired with just his jumbled thoughts.

...

* * *

 _ **I might go back to updating only on friday's for a sometime while i try and write more chaps.**_

 ** _I finally finfished planning for this story and damn is it gonna be a long ass ride, i'm excited tho (i ended up creating a playlist of songs that remind me of kevedd and rev!kevedd just to get the feels and inspiration lol)_**


	16. Chapter 16

The raven haired stood still staring at the door where the ginger had walked out. He felt his hand shake from many weird feelings that creeped through his body. The boy felt anger and a mixture of shame all towards himself. However he had gone through this before, a pair of friends who had stuck close to him had once said they were his family. Indeed they were for 2 years until Eddward had put all his trust in them and let them in.

Only then did he realize they had lied. They had abandoned him just like his parents; they had crushed his final hopes in life. It was then he knew no one would accept him, no one would understand, he had no one in this life who cared about him. The raven haired knew that the ginger would turn out the same way; he only prayed he was wrong.

Eddward wasn't meant to be born with default, he was meant to be the perfect child. For ten years he strived for that perfection, only to be crushed once everyone knew of his default. He never meant for it to be public, it was meant to be hidden forever. He had only been a child with no idea of right or wrong, how could he have known the world would shut him away once they took a peek of the sin that consumed him from the inside.

The raven haired was never meant to be this way...yet he was and he knew that this life was pointless because of it. It was only hell, it was misery, it was his constant torture he wanted to so desperately end. The ginger didn't understand that, the ginger didn't know anything about him, who was he to say that he cared? No one because the moment he would see the real Eddward he turned his back on him, he'd shut him out, he'd be disgusted by him.

Eddward was an illness in this world, only causing harm and sin upon the healthy people. He had to go away... The ginger just couldn't understand that.

He wouldn't understand... Not until he knew... Only then would the ginger agree with his 'disappearance'. He turn out just like the rest of them, Eddward knew it.

The raven haired just wished the boy would back off; he really didn't have the energy to deal with him. Eddward was tired, so very tired.

...

Kevin took a seat next to Nazz on the cool benches looking out onto a P.E class on the football field. "Hey Nazz" he cheerfully greeted.

"Hey Kev what's up?" Nazz smiled turning to her best friend and taking a bit of her lunch.

"Nothing much, same old I guess" the ginger shrugged turning to Nazz.

"Is Eddward and his goons still after you?" Nazz looked onto the field watching the boys and girls run around exhausted.

"Not really actually, well not Eddward at least I only see him in class these days..." Kevin leaned forward placing his face in his hands. It had been over a week since the incident and he hadn't had the chance to pester Eddward like he had planned. The raven haired boy always disappeared into thin air before he had a chance. "His goons are still at it though"

Nazz raised an eyebrow "Really? You think he's finally bored with you?" Nazz elbowed her friend.

"No, I think it's more like his avoiding me..." The teen muttered out.

"Why would he be avoiding you?" Nazz put down her lunch next to her "Even if he was, isn't it better? Just leave him be why go after the bastard. Honestly I don't know how I'll survive having to see his reign of the school for another two years after this. Wish he'd just move far away ya know"

Kevin's freckled hand trembled as he questioned if Nazz would be mad at him for what he was trying to do. To her Eddward was a demon who had caused too much harm on the innocent, she had been a victim in 9th grade before Kevin and Rolf had finally stepped in to protect her. Eddward was evil in their eyes, he was rotten. However in the last couple of days the ginger had seen a side of the boy that Kevin just couldn't turn away from. He was broken, he was hurting. If Kevin learned anything from his grandpa's death was that everyone was human, and the moment people crack their demons crawl out. Eddward needed the attention he lacked for years, and he planned on giving it to him. He just needed to let the raven haired know he was worth trusting. Kevin wanted to as peculiar as it sounded establish a friendship with the bully.

"Kevin...?" The ginger was pulled from his nervous thoughts looking at his friends concern eyes "Kev, you alright, you've seemed off lately, I don't know distracted I guess. What's wrong?"

Kevin sighed out "It's nothing don't worry about it"

"Are you sure?" The blond girl placed a hand on her friends shoulder "You can tell me you know, you can trust me"

Kevin raised his eyes to stare at his friend's crystal ones. Trust..."Nazz, how...how can you show someone that you're worth trusting?"

Baffled by the question Nazz thought a moment "I'm not sure, I mean for me I began trusting you the moment you and Rolf stepped in to save me from Eddward and his goons remember? We all headed to the park after that and just laughed together, I knew then it was a friendship worth keeping." She softly smiled at him "I think it comes with time for most people, trust isn't an easy thing to gain right on the spot Kevin, and once it's gone it's gone." She exhaled turning back to the football field watching the kids gather together "You just have to be there for them, it'll build up over time, and with it a strong bond" she intertwined her fingers with Kevin's and smiled again "You have mine that's for sure"

Kevin smiled back "Thanks Nazz" he gave a squeeze to her hand and looked onto the field as well. Nazz was right he had to find Eddward...and just be there for him.

...

That night Kevin stayed up looking out the window from his room, wondering what could possibly be going through Eddward's mind, why did he think he had to play the mean tough guy around public? Somehow the thought that he was pretending lessened his fear towards the raven haired boy. He was only human and since he had said he had been alone for so long maybe it had become something instinctual, as some means for survival.

Yet how could someone be alone for so long? What were his parents thinking, did they really not love their son, their only son as far as Kevin knew. It was such a heartbreaking thought of not having a family. They were the ones who were supposed to stick with you through thick and thin and love you unconditionally. No wonder Eddward was so bitter, he had been neglected so much love, he had been abandon.

Kevin didn't know how he would live without his father; he was the only family he had besides his grandma Barr who lived out of state. Kevin had never known his mother, she had died many years ago while Kevin was still merely months old. Lacking his mother however never seemed to prove much of any troubles for Kevin because he had his father. Mr. Barr had always tried his best to be a mother and a father for Kevin, always there for his quiz bowl competitions in junior high and his robotics club competitions as well. Always there to make breakfast because he knew he sometimes wouldn't be able to have dinner with his son. He was always there when Kevin needed him.

Eddward didn't have that, hadn't had that for who knows how long. It was no wonder the boy had such negative thoughts on the world, if he didn't have the love of his family how could he hope to find love elsewhere. It was harsh, and terribly sad to live alone, but Kevin was determined to give the boy attention, trust, and friendship. He only hoped Eddward would let him in.

He sighed tiredly, his eyes beginning to close. Kevin stood and got under the covered of his bed and after a while drifted to sleep. He dreamt of a series of colors, first it was all gold, mixed with purples and orange much like a sunset. Then it turned darker and there were different shades of blues, all mixing in a blur and then beautiful black hair that flowed in the current of colors. It all seemed like a memory, a very faint memory.

...

* * *

 _ **Alright from now on i'm going back to updating chapters on Friday's! UNTIL i've written a decent amount**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed that chapter!**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to next Friday! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**I'm back again! LOL**_

 ** _For real this time :D_**

 ** _Alright i'm still very much behind on chapters haven't had the time or inspiration to write, but i guess i just have to do it or else i will never get out of this block i've had._**

 ** _So without any more delay here is the next chapter!_**

* * *

Alright today was the day Kevin Thomas Barr was going to find Eddward Vincent! Kevin knew the raven haired was avoiding him and therefore hiding somewhere during lunch maybe even taking different routes to classes and always arriving first to their AP Bio. Hmph, but not today oh no today he wouldn't be so lucky because Kevin was sure to follow him, he was sure he would find his bully. He would stop Eddward's avoidance once and for all.

It was a difficult task at first because damn was the raven haired hard to find, it was like he wasn't at school at all, but Kevin knew he would need to stop by his locker sometime. So before his class before lunch was finished Kevin faked an excuse to get out early and went to the hallway he knew Eddward had his locker and hid at a corner. Kevin didn't have a wait too long because before the bell had rung the raven haired had made his way to the locker just as Kevin had thought. Ever so slowly he followed the raven haired, when the bells rung for lunch and students began to swarm the halls. Kevin picked up the pace keeping his eyes on the black striped beanie and trying to avoid being taken by the crowd.

Eventually making their way up stairs Kevin noticed Eddward had stepped into the library, and Kevin stopped walking. For some reason his heart was beating a thousand times faster and his palm began to sweat. _Damn it Kevin this isn't the time to be nervous, wait the library? But I've been here before and hadn't seen him at all!_ Kevin gathered his nerves and molded them into courage as he forced his feet to take a step, and then another one. He hesitantly reached a freckled hand on the door knob, what was he to do once in? Just barge in and be like hey sup, what? Kevin shook his head, what if Eddward really didn't want his company, want anything to do with him? He couldn't force the guy right, but he had to least give him a chance at friendship right, he owed Kevin that much.

It wasn't that hard for the boy to shut him out, he was so negative that he truly possibly wouldn't let him in. What if Eddward hated him? Why would he though, he hadn't done anything except comply to his stupid demands of getting beat up, why was he even being such a bully if he didn't want attention, how much did Jimmy and Johnny knew? "Blah!" Kevin rubbed his face with his hands "I'm stalling I'm stalling" he finally sighed and stepped inside the large room.

The library was definitely one of his favorite spots around the school. It was one of the largest rooms in the school, with large windows taking up an entire wall, beautifully letting the sun light illuminate the room. Kevin's favorites were the obvious wonderful books all around him as well as peace and quiet. He looked around the tables and saw no sign of the other boy. There were more tables on the other side of the library hidden away by the book shelves, and Kevin wondered if maybe that was where the raven haired was.

The ginger made his way to the other side and saw that at the farthest table in one of the corners laid the bully's back pack, but no sign of the boy himself. Kevin then thought the boy must be lost among the book shelves looking for something to read. He wondered through the shelves once again this way and that. The ginger loved it; it always felt like walking through a maze with so many new things to discover. On his oh so called journey he caught sight of a fictional book about pirates.

The novel reminded him of his younger years when his father would read him a bed time story about all kinds of fictional worlds. Pirates, wizards, dragons, mysterious sea creatures, and space adventures! It ignited something in little Kevin, something that made his gears in his brain turn, creativity. These fictional books inspired Kevin's creativity in engineering many kinds of new inventions. He learned to make robots and completely change a motorcycle into a new design. The ginger smiled and picked up the book, just for fun.

Continuing his search for Eddward, he wondered in what section the boy would be interested to look into for reading. Finally turning a corner into the psychology section he found the tall raven haired completely engulfed in a heavy text, his finger roaming through the pages and murmuring to himself, which sounded like vocabulary?

Kevin felt a bit mischievous and decided to sneak up behind the teen. As he came near he realized that his nerves had become more controlled. He was certainly still afraid in some way, yet he was afraid of most things to do with Eddward and the ginger figured that was ok because the bully was a mystery to be explored. Like the book he held in his hands, and Kevin was well aware of the phrase don't judge a book by its cover. He just had to play it with ease, like Nazz had said.

To the boy's surprise Eddward didn't sense him at all, must have been because he was so used to having nobody come close to him. As the ginger approached mere inches to the taller teens back he reached a hand to give a small push and in a swift motion peeked into sight "BOO" Kevin said cheerfully yet not so loudly, as he still respected the quietness of the library.

The shorter teen giggled as he saw the raven haired jump slightly and startled eyes immediately turning to look in his direction. Upon seeing his 'attacker' his facial features calmed down into what Kevin read as annoyance. "Very funny Minnow, now what do you want?"

"Hmm? Oh you're very well aware of what I want" Kevin smiled leaning against the shelf.

Eddward stared at the boy's odd enthusiasm. Somehow the ginger appeared different, it was weird because he couldn't pin point it exactly yet it all felt a bit forced. It sure wasn't physical, as the ginger was the same short nerd as always, with a bruise peeping behind the sleeve of his oversized sweater. "Indeed, as you very well know my answer to it" he said starting to walk out of the shelves towards the table his bag lay.

Kevin followed behind the taller teen, smiling from ear to ear "Of course!" he called out. He stood beside the table as he watched the other boy sat down and pretend to ignore him. "And that's ok" he shrugged taking a seat himself, setting his bag down and opening his book to begin reading.

Eddward looked up from his text with a confused expression. The boy in front of him seemed to not have any intentions of pestering him as he had threatened before. He just read in silence…

Throughout that entire lunch period the raven haired could not fully focus on his text, his mind feeling uncomfortable by the presence of the other. His thoughts were preoccupied not by learning, but by questioning. Questioning the ginger to be precise, and truly the only words that roamed through his brain were… What the fuck!?

What the actual fuck was Kevin doing? What was he doing by simply sitting there and reading? Not a single word came out of him until the bell rang when he stood up waving goodbye and said "See you in class"

Eddward just stared at the small teen as he walked away and out of sight. The ginger boy was definitely a weird one Eddward thought as he stood up as well to head to class.

…

The raven haired tried to brush this peculiar moment off however as much as he tried that couldn't be happening today. He sat in his usual seat in his AP Biology class watching the rest of the class flood the room, when he spotted the little ginger walk in as cheerfully as he had seen him in the library. As if knowing his public communication would unsettle the bully, the smaller boy promptly smiled and gave a hidden wave only the other would see. It was a greeting simple as that. This of course baffled the raven haired to no end.

The rest of the class period was as usual, well at least to the rest of the class, but to the two boys it was unlike. Kevin didn't seem to be quivering in fear, and Eddward was consumed in his thoughts though not his typical thoughts, no not today. His brain submerged with trying to figure out Kevin Barr.

Eddward would have thought this would be done with for that day, that the next day they'd go back to being normal and that the ginger had had a strange peculiar moment. Well, that peculiar moment seemed to have lasted more than he expected.

The small teen continued to go into the library day after day, with the same routine. Just sitting there and reading in silence after giving a small greeting. Eddward did have the option to not go into the library; he had the option to avoid the teen as he usually did. In fact the raven haired did ditch more than once but somehow when found himself wondering back into the library he's only find the ginger still sitting in their usual spot reading. As he sat down the only reaction he got from Kevin was looking up from his book and smiling then continued his reading.

Eddward began to observe the teen, and his weird actions. What intentions did the ginger possessed? His goofballs pawns continue to beat him up on a daily bases it seemed as he noticed a new bruise peeking through his loose clothing. His eyes were certainly tired; there were huge dark bags under his eyes. Quite frankly the boy looked exhausted. The raven haired pondered why he was sitting with him when he could go into the infirmary to rest. Was he hoping for something, protection perhaps? However he made no motion to plead for help, no interest in expecting for anything really.

It wasn't like Eddward was involved with Jimmy and Johnny anymore. For weeks now he had stopped hanging around them, they were certainly a pair of annoying fools. Of course this didn't bother the other two, without Eddward they did whatever the fuck they wanted. This happened often where with no explanation the raven haired would leave the boys for some time, and then at random rejoin. However the taller boy could not help but wonder if the ginger was aware of this at all.

The raven haired noticed day by day the quivering freckled hands begin to become calm and controlled. No longer seemed forced, now instead held the book in them strongly and confidently. His silence began to be filled with small giggles, and reactions caused by his reading. Eddward stared at the cover of the book and saw a dramatic scene of a pirate in the middle with a sword in hand standing as if ready to go into battle. To the man's left was a beautiful graceful woman, and to the right was a young man most likely the pirate's handy man. Behind them were a large body of sea and a ship with its flag waving in the air.

Well, it certainly wasn't a book Eddward would pick up from the shelves. He wasn't much of a fictional reader, didn't have the imagination for it he thought. It was silly to read it quite frankly; they were…stupid and waste of time. Fiction was a get away from the reality of the world. He of all people knew there could never be an escape from reality; it was cruel in that sense.

Yet he would be lying if he said he that the giggles coming from the ginger didn't poke his interest. Just what were in the contents of that book that made the boy laugh and gasp? What made his beady olive eyes shine with brightness? It seemed to have caused something in the boy's mind to turn, and Eddward was most curious as it was in his nature.

One day when Kevin sat down, instead of opening the book, he pulled out a school text book and began doing homework in silence. Eddward just figured the boy had fallen behind in his studies. However the next day it was the same, and so was the next day… and the next…the book was nowhere in sight.

Simply because of Eddward's curiosity, after the ginger left he walked over to the fictional section and began looking through books trying to find it. It was when he looked on the very top that he found the book, and grabbed it. Once again he stared at the stupid cover and turned to read the stupid summary. He heard a giggle next to him and looked to his side, his chest tensing seeing the red head. "It's a good read" Kevin said lifting a jacket a bit into sight "Sorry, came back to grab my rain jacket, seems like it might rain later day."

Eddward lowered the book a bit embarrassed at being found out and looked out the window seeing dark clouds begin to form in the sky. He sensed the ginger shift slightly "It's been a while since I read something fictional, thought it might inspire me somehow. You know kind of how our parents used to read to us back then huh. I don't really have a favorite I love almost all stories, do you?" Kevin asked mainly to make conversation.

"No…never really read fiction" Eddward paused staring at the book titles all stacked neatly on the shelves. "Never been interested"

"Seems to me you're interested now" the ginger smiled "Hey I have some great recommendations actually, want to check some out and go over to your place after school?"

Eddward looked back to the ginger with a raised eyebrow "I'm just offering, besides its Friday" Kevin shrugged. The ginger wasn't expecting anything to be honest maybe a cold glare, some annoyed eye roll. Instead, what he got was a simple sigh, the raven haired seemed comfortable. Kevin smiled at this "I'll meet you out back 10 minutes after school ends" he softly spoke and turned to leave.

The taller teen stood in his spot just staring at the cover of the book, and before he knew it had been checked out and was placed inside his back pack. Eddward had been reading the book since lunch ended and now found himself sitting in the back corner of the AP biology class with the book hidden under a completed worksheet. No one ever paid attention to him, not even the teachers since they knew he was days ahead of the entire class. So he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted as long as it wasn't disrupting the class.

Kevin sat in a front seat on the opposite side of the room very concentrated on whatever tasked was assigned. Eddward noticed the ginger's right foot bouncing impatiently at he focused, his back slouched at he leaned on the desk, tired eyes roaming through the piece of paper, and biting his nails which the boy came to known was a nervous habit of the other. Something that caught his attention was that he kept looking at the clock; his hands seemed to quiver ever so slightly. Something was on his mind, something that caused him nerves, and fear…almost like…

As he finished the worksheet Kevin stood and handed it in. Eddward's observant blue eyes saw the fake smile the boy gave as he quietly spoke to the teacher, then grabbed his back pack and rapidly gave a glance and a smile towards his direction. The raven haired knew then what it was all about. It HAD to be the stupid fools.

Eddward wasn't aware of what he was doing, but before the boy become conscious of his actions he had turned in the sheet and walked out of the class no explanation given. Following the ginger to his locker a few feet behind he noticed the change in posture, how the guarded boy he used to torment was reflected once again. Kevin placed some texts inside the locker and stood looking from side to side looking for someone.

The raven haired had a moment of hesitation; however once he spotted Jimmy turning a corner he stepped up to a shocked ginger and grabbed him by the arm dragging him along. "E-Eddward!" Kevin called out trying to keep up with the taller boy's quick pace "what are you doing?!" he whispered.

"Are you willing to skip your last class?" was all Eddward said his gazed fixed on the exit to the school.

"What! I can't leave now, they might get Nazz!" Kevin tried to pull away.

"Well we're leaving either way" The raven haired pulled on little Kevin almost threateningly.

"CAPTAIN!" they heard the blond yell out from behind.

Kevin could feel Eddward's grip on him tighten "Play along" he whispered so softly had the ginger not been so close to the other he wouldn't have heard it. Eddward turned around with a sense of power running through his posture Kevin could tell by his expression that the boy had pulled that tough guy mask on. "What is it?" he demanded.

Jimmy placed his hands in the pocket of his leather jacket and shrugged "Me and Johnny thought we had some fun with our favorite friend here today, didn't know you wanted to play also"

Kevin didn't know how the raven haired did it, but he appeared to be much taller than he was. His strong presence seemed to intimidate the other who took an awkward step back. "I'm sure you won't miss our dear friend mister Barr for just one day would you?" his voice spoke out sharp and cold as ice giving shivers down Kevin's back.

"Of course not, not at all in fact…it's just you haven't been out with us having fun captain, thought you got bored?" Jimmy smiled down at Kevin.

"Well I suppose I got bored of being bored" Eddward pulled Kevin back a bit harshly, who shrieked.

"Then he's all yours captain" The blond gave a somewhat sarcastic grin and raised his hands up in a gesture of giving up. Jimmy's light blue eyes roamed through every feature of the raven haired face, and posture, he searched for something within the other to answer his suspicion. Then turned and waved goodbye knowing very well what Eddward was capable of doing to him had he put up a fight.

Eddward scuffed and shoved little Kevin once more as they turned around and out of the school building. The sun light hit their faces directly making the ginger close his eyes and scrunch his nose. Slowly opening his eyes he realized they were heading towards Eddward's car. "W-wait!" Kevin tried to pull back but it was to no avail. "Eddward Wait!" Kevin raised his voice as he pulled back harder.

The taller boy stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Kevin, and for a moment those dark cold blue eyes stared back at him again. It reminded the ginger of the reason why he was so afraid of the boy, they were eyes that could kill. Kevin froze his body tensing and as soon as he saw the other boy relaxing he did as well. "What is it minnow" Eddward spoke in almost a whisper.

Taking a couple deep breaths slowly, Kevin cleared his throat to speak once again "...I um..." He couldn't find the words he wanted to speak, he want to desperately ask why? However knowing the boy by now he knew that Eddward was very closed off in public, so he didn't ask. "I wanted to check some books out after school..." The ginger looked down at his feet feeling somewhat embarrassed at his childish comment.

The raven haired finally loosened his grip enough to where Kevin wasn't feeling pressure anymore, and was now only a feather like touch. "Jimmy is extremely observant, it wouldn't be wise to go back in for all we know he could be watching us right now, he's smart"

"...Alright" Kevin looked back at the building knowing well he was going to hear a confused and angry Nazz the next day.

Looking through the distraught boy in front of him, Eddward softened his tension in his body and spoke steadily to calm Kevin down further "I can assure you Nazz will be fine…" before he could get a response from the other he gently shoved Kevin into the black car and drove away, no other words exchanging between them.

...

* * *

 _ **I have to take some time to thank everyone who has been giving this story so much love, so... THANK YOU SOO SOOO SOOOO MUCH! I sincerely love you all to death it makes me so happy to hear such positive feedback on my fanfic. Thank you all for your support, and i hope you will stay on this long ride till the end.**_

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to Friday! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	18. Chapter 18

**_School started for me today, so my uploading time won't be on the morning anymore, but rather later in the day mot likely around 9 or later like today._**

 ** _i'll try my hardest to keep updating every monday and friday but if it gets too busy i'll only post on fridays._**

 ** _Hope you enjoy this chapter, and please pardon any horrible grammer and such b/c i didn't really give it much editing._**

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It was dark, hallow, with just a cold air running by. The boy's vision was a glitch, his every movement in slow motion, his hair flowing as if there was a current. He walked around and seemed to be in a room, with nothing but rotting walls. Ah, but he's been here before, many times in fact, this was home, not that modern white isolated house he lived in. No, this was where everyone recognized him, welcomed him only to then humiliate him. This was his home.

The boy heard laughter, and turned in the direction only to find nothing but the darkness crawling away leaving white in its trail. Soon the entire room was white, much clearer and the laughter continued as their raised voices filled up the room. The boy turned back around seeing a familiar lamp illuminating the room, he stepped forward noticing that in two steps he was already under its light. The laughter had died down; silence now encompassing the room and the boy looked around for some sign of where the voices came from.

There was a chuckled from a raspy deep voice coming from all directions "Are you really going to go through this again, you damned fool?"

The boy's eyebrow raised his body tensed "What are you talking about?"

"Hm, what were their names again? You know the short pink skinned idiot, and the tall buffoon you used to hang around…your so called second family" the voiced started chuckling until it broke into full out laughter, the many voices followed along.

"SHUT UP!" the boy yelled out, the painful feeling that seemed to crush his chest.

"Touchy subject? Hm well I'll have you know that little ginger will be the same." The voiced seemed to force its way through the boy's skull, cracking every time it spoke. "I've told you once and I'll tell you again, you'll end up disappointed, he's lying to you, he's trying to deceive you and get to your weak points." The boy's brain pulsed with an ache "You know what you are, shouldn't that be enough to keep you away. You'll end up contaminating him, he'll become sick, disgusting, won't ever be welcomed in heaven…Just touching you is gradually damning him"

The boy felt his knees become weak, and sluggishly sank to the floor hearing all the voices laughing at him. A headache shot through his head, making him grunt, his teeth clenched together tightly and pulled at his hair with his long fingers.

"Useless!"

"Worthless!"

"Pathetic!"

"Devil child!"

At very word they spat out there was a cut to his now bare body. The cuts on his arms were quickly spilling an alarming amount of blood. "Pay for your sins, you disgusting creature" The boy tried to cover his arms, and hide away from sight, or run away from their torment. But he knew there was no way to escape, they continued to laugh, and yell cruel words, and he like always crawled into a ball and prayed for it to pass soon, prayed that he died soon and be done with it forever.

The lamp began to glitch until it turned off and the darkness slowly crawled back. There was complete silence for a long time until he heard a familiar faint voice calling his name. Now this voice was new to him, he hadn't heard it ever before around here, yet he knew that voice. It was calm, patient…warm. It reminded him of someone, a woman with long dark hair and eyes as blue as the day's sky. Though the voice did have the same feel, it wasn't hers…

"EDDWARD"

There were two olive green eyes, looking straight at him. He blinked trying to regain composure and focus clearly on the person the eyes belonged to. "Thank god" the little ginger whispered "You had me scared there a moment" he sat back down on the floor next to the couch where Eddward laid.

Eddward opened his eyes wide taking in the white ceiling of his house and feeling nauseas of the memory of his dream. His gaze then lowered to the teen sitting beside him and that's when he remembered that once they had arrived to his place, Eddward had begun to have a terrible headache and apparently fallen asleep on the couch leaving Kevin to his own devices. "You were groaning with so much pain, I didn't know what to do…" he turned around to face Eddward " I tried waking you but you wouldn't, then I saw you grabbing onto your arms and I rolled your sleeves to check if something was wrong, but there was nothing. Then you starting trembling and tears were running down your face, and I just kept trying to wake you up but you wouldn't you just kept mumbling to yourself, you were kept saying… pleading…I didn't know what to do…"

For the first time Eddward could clearly see the boy in front of him, he was trying to contain himself, yet the sight he had behold had shook him. The raven haired felt his heart drop at the sight of the frightened boy and right in that moment he swore the ginger was the epitome of everything that was good in this world. The tears that began to drop down freckled cheeks, the trembling hands that held tightly onto his shirt and the pleading eyes that stared at him were full of honesty.

They were wrong, the other two never looked at him the way Kevin did. His honesty was clearly reflected in his eyes, something he never saw in the other two he once called friends…family. Their friendship was just a simple companionship that helped him cope with his isolation from his real family. Yet they never truly cared for him, always leaving him behind and having to deal with the terrible consequences of their childish pranks and scams alone.

It seemed that no matter what he did, he wasn't going to get Kevin Barr to leave him alone. The ginger was stubborn; Eddward knew that from when he always tried to stand up to Jimmy and Johnny, and occasionally him. Though that didn't mean that he couldn't see the fear behind his fake confidence, he knew inside he was terribly afraid, yet somehow he continued to put up a fight. It was always something that puzzled Eddward, had it been him in Kevin's shoes he would have given up a long time ago.

So Eddward questioned everything now, his eyes searching the ginger, and his mind trying to block the voices. His chest ached terribly as if he was going to make another mistake, as if he was just desperate once again for that companionship. He placed a hand on top of one of the freckled hands hoping the strength the ginger held would somehow stick onto him.

Eddward noticed the touch calmed the other and in turn relaxed him as well. The ginger now held tightly onto his hand as if trying not to let him get away, with his eyes still fixed on the raven haired. With his other hand Eddward reached to cover the gingers face blocking his sight completely, and in a whisper so low he wasn't sure if Kevin could hear, he spoke "Please don't give up…" he wasn't sure if he was speaking about himself or the other but before he could get any response from Kevin he quickly got up and went to the kitchen to grab a small box then headed to the back yard.

Kevin was left stunned kneeling on the floor trying to figure out what Eddward had just said, before his lips curved into a small smile and stood up following the other out. Before he stepped out he wiped his eyes and took a breath in, then opened the door to see Eddward sitting on the steps with a cigarette in hand making him cringe "You know you shouldn't be smoking, it's terrible for you" he said taking a couple steps closer to the other.

The raven haired took one puff as if to tease the other "Helps me think more clearly" he simply said.

"Oh yeah? That's a terrible habit to have" he chuckled shifting on his feet a bit.

Eddward shrugged "We all have terrible habits I suppose" he tossed the cigar on the ground and stepped on it watching its flame die. "…I'm sure even you have one"

At this Kevin raised an eyebrow slightly shocked by the positive response and softly smiled taking a seat next to the raven haired "Well I don't know if it's as terrible as yours, but I have a habit of riding my motorcycle at full blast down a highway at night."

"Ah it's just as terrible as mine, both have the possibility of death" Eddward laughed looking down at the crushed cigar. "Possibly worse"

Kevin looked up to Eddward with wide eyes, just what was that wonderful sound he heard? A laugh? An actual laugh! Kevin began to laugh himself "I'll have you know it feels amazing! The adrenaline really makes you feel alive. You should try it"

Eddward looked now out onto the empty yard "I'm sure you wouldn't want me offering you to try a cigarette now would you?"

"Well no, but it's not the same!" Kevin whined "Just a drive around town"

"Possibly another time…" Eddward scratched his neck a bit awkwardly.

Kevin happily leaned back a bit "Alright then, I'll hold you up on that"

For a long time, they were in complete silence both looking onto the yard and the sight of an abandoned playground just beyond the bushes. In all honesty Kevin was alright if Eddward didn't want to talk anymore, his conversation given him enough satisfaction and was pleased that the other had decided to give him a chance.

"We used to play in that playground when we were kids" Eddward voiced spoke softly breaking the silence.

The ginger turned surprised once again of the bully's openness "who?"

Eddward shifted his hands now tangled together "…a friend and I did"

"What's their name?" Kevin asked intrigued

"Blaine…he used to live in this neighborhood, before he moved to a different state during fifth grade." Eddward finally turned to give a glance to Kevin "We used to go up that hill over there and make plans about getting the hell out of this town. Said we go over to Europe and live there working in shop we would build together." He chuckled shaking his head.

Kevin chuckled as well "Those are some big plans for two kids"

"We…we didn't know anything about life then, we just dreamed and talked big" Eddward looked back down at his intertwined fingers.

"So what happened? Do you guys still talk?" Kevin listened closely trying to hear Eddward, the real Eddward.

"No…it's been a long time" Kevin noticed the other body tense for a while as if debating something with himself "…died actually… In a car accident with some older teenagers who were only injured in the event"

Kevin's heart sank realizing the playground, and the entire place must bring the other sad memories of his friend. "I'm sorry to hear that…" he lamely said not really sure what else to say.

"You remind me of him sometimes…" Eddward continued ruffling the hair underneath his beanie.

"I do? How? Physically or personality?" he asked cheerfully trying to not let the mood get too sad.

"Physically no, you're nothing like him" Eddward chuckled "He was a brunette for starters… but he shares your annoying habit of being persistent, always optimistic and…odd"

"Odd?" Kevin asked a bit confused by what he meant.

"It's just a feeling I got from him, I could never describe it in words but I get the same feeling radiating from you…it's odd" the raven haired shrugged.

"mhmm…" Kevin looked up to the sky seeing a little couple of birds flying together "I guess that's good huh" Eddward turned towards the ginger curious to his response. "I mean what's so fun about being normal? Seems to me like Blaine was a remarkable person"

The older teen shook his head with a smile "He was…suppose he could have been grand"

"Wish I could have met him, we could have gotten along great" Kevin smiled imagining a world where Eddward had had the friend he desperately needed growing up, and he only wished life wasn't so cruel.

"Perfectly actually" Eddward whispered before he sighed feeling relaxed and at the same time exhausted. He was afraid, but he had to be strong because maybe just maybe his last tiny bit of hope he had left lay with Kevin Barr.

They both sat down for a very long time watching squirrels jumping from tree to tree, birds flying back to their home, and wind blow the grass. Both boys lost in their minds, one filled with enthusiasm, the other filled with conflict.

In time they headed inside the house and Eddward leant Kevin an educational book he had, while he read the pirate book which to his surprise wasn't half bad. The raven haired had made his special tea with Kevin right close to him watching for any possible secret ingredient that made the beverage so good, which he ended up feeling a bit disappointed because he found none. Then after reading they decided to watch a movie, in which they debated a long time trying to find a movie that they both were interested enough, in the end agreeing to a documentary about an unsolved murder in the 90's. When it was time for Kevin to leave, Eddward decided to give the boy a ride home. The entire ride was in peaceful silence and once again both caught up in their thoughts, one satisfied and the other tranquil.

Once dropping off Kevin, Eddward stood outside his door for a moment hesitant about going inside the now abandoned home. He opened the door and headed straight to his room and changed to sweats and a sweatshirt, he took off his hat, brushed his teeth and got under the covers of his bed. Peculiar enough the house wasn't as cold as usual.

Peculiar enough the voices made no sound that night.

…

* * *

 _ **Hmmmmm... wasn't sure how i wanted this chapter to end, however i was pretty satisfied.**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to Friday! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	19. Chapter 19

Her best friend was seemingly further away from her very time he turned his back to her and walked away. He was much more closed off, they didn't do their usual hang outs and he wouldn't tell her what was up. The blond was just worried, why was he acting so suspicious, did he get a girlfriend and was hiding it for the time being, maybe feeling a bit shy. All those random escapes he do every now and then after school was definitely suspicious, or the fact that most of the time he was off somewhere during lunch, truly there couldn't be any other explanation. But he didn't have any reason to keep the gal a secret from her; contrary Nazz would love to meet her.

Then concerned consumed the blond as she questioned about what if he was falling too hard for the girl, and forgetting all about their friendship? They were best friends and best friends should be able to tell each other everything, then why wasn't he telling her anything? Pretending like nothing was wrong. This was frustrating to her, she was mad at him, yet she understood that this was his private life and Kevin had the decision of telling her or not. She trusted Kevin to make the right choices in his life, and trust that he wouldn't abandon her for someone else, besides she could tell he was still trying his best to make her know that.

Yes, they didn't talk as much as they did before if it wasn't at school, because it seemed that he was preoccupied and would now respond to her messages much later in the day. It wasn't so much at first but gradually she found that Kevin was always consumed in his own thoughts, sometimes looking sad, other times looking enthusiastic about something. All she could do was watch and pretend she didn't see his pained expressions on those conflicted days, and kept her mouth shut.

Nazz also noticed his physical appearance beginning to look brighter. She could no longer see purple bruises peeking through the edges of his sweater, the eye bags under his tired eyes were disappearing among his now pink fleshy skin. He seemed happier in a peculiar way, and all she wanted to know was what the cause of his change was. Maybe the J's stopped attacking him as it most definitely appeared to be the case, as he never seemed to mentioned Eddward anymore.

Why all the silence though? She pondered sadly.

...

He had become to rely on excuses to get away from his best friend. The ginger was simply too afraid of telling her the truth, but why? Because he knew she would try and talk him out of helping Eddward Vincent. By this point he knew the raven haired bully needed someone by his side, that he wasn't as bad as he presented himself to the public eye. Behind closed doors Eddward was an abandoned kid who needed someone's company and compassion.

For weeks Kevin had kept lying to his friend to sneak away from lunch and go to the library, often times receiving confused messages from her and he didn't know how to respond. He was trying hard to have Eddward not noticed his constant buzzing phone with messages from Nazz, and pretending to go look for a book among the shelves he'd go and respond. He was feeling extremely guilty about lying to her; however he kept on walking her to all her classes, and every day that went by the further upset Nazz seemed to appear. She'd make an attempt to try and get him to spill, and every time he would avoid the matter and she would turn her head away disappointed and become silent.

Kevin sat in the dining table moving his food from one area of the plate to the other, in deep thought. He really wanted to hang out more with Eddward; you know get to know the raven haired better and all but he couldn't abandon Nazz. He knew how she would react to him trying to help the guy. She would try and convince him that Eddward was just lying to him, he knew how she would react and if he did tell her, however the ginger was most afraid of losing his best friend. He couldn't blame her for hating Eddward, she had been a victim once, he had personally hurt her and had the J's beat her many times before Kevin showed up and began to take the beatings for her. Yet how was he supposed to all of a sudden try to make her understand that the bully wasn't what she thought he was.

The ginger sighed leaning his cheek deeper into the palm of his hand. He had been through his thought process over and over again, and only came to the conclusion to try his best at hiding it from his best friend. What about Eddward? Kevin was praying this whole secretly didn't make him feel too guilty.

"Hey buddy what's up?" Kevin looked up at the sound of his father's voice, and realized he had been zoning out in front of him.

"N-nothing really..." The tiny teen lifted his body a bit more straight to make his failed statement seem more believable. Of course, it was a failed statement after all and all he got was a stern stare from his old man clearly saying you're lying to me so Kevin sighed thinking about how to phrase the situation maybe his Dad could give some advice. "Uh well... I've been reading this book at the school library and there is this guy that isn't really in the right path I suppose and the protagonist wants to help the guy out cause he realized there are understandable reasons why the dudes done what he's done, and well it's the right thing to do right" Kevin looked up to his dad hoping he was following along, and at the sight of a simple nod in agreement Kevin got a bit nervous but continued nevertheless

"Well, the protagonist has a best friend who utterly hates the dude and is trying to keep things a secret from her, of helping the guy out I mean, and because of this secret he feels like he's becoming a bit more distant from his best friend. He doesn't even know if he can help to in a way 'fix' the guy's life. I mean the dude is so negative about himself and life in general, it kinda hurts...so what do you think pop? I haven't finished reading the book obviously but it got me thinking and all" he sat back on his chair fiddling with his hands under the table.

Kevin father sighed "Well in a situation like this shouldn't there be trust?" Kevin stared at his father in shock as that word appeared once again. "The protagonists should trust that his so called friend will understand, and if they don't then well too bad because everyone deserves a second chance to renew themselves. But the friend's actions depend on their reasons of hating the struggling guy. If the guy has in fact done terrible, possibly unforgivable things then the protagonist has to understand that his friends opinion will be hard to change, or won't at all. However the friend should also trust that the protagonist is doing the right thing, and should understand they chose to give the bully a second chance. The protagonist should also trust himself, and that the guy will trust him. The moment a person like the guy in the book opens up they have given that person their trust, well at least partially of it but it's a great beginning." Mr Barr smiled softly at the silent reaction of his son; he had always been a terrible liar. "Don't trouble yourself too much little man just finish reading the book and you'll see it will have a happy ending"

"I hope so..." He picked up his fork and continued to eat his breakfast processing his father's words.

...

The day was all the same, it followed the same routine. Kevin met up with Nazz at her locker, chit chat then he walked her from class to class, during lunch they would meet with at her class and they walk together to lunch. The ginger would make up an excuse to leave knowing that Nazz was fine among her other female friends. Then he would usually leave to meet Eddward. This wasn't going to happen today, no not today.

Today the little ginger had slipped Eddward a note in his locker way before anyone was at school letting him know he wouldn't be able to meet up during lunch. Today everything would be like it used to be, however he had to talk to Nazz. He thanked his father for being his father and advising him when he most needed the help.

Kevin met up with Nazz during lunch and reached to grab her hand as a way to reassure her that today he wouldn't leave her, and dragged her out to their usual spot on the football benches. She seemed so surprised at his sudden action, but didn't question it and instead held tightly on to his warm hand and smiled finally feeling at cease. They sat down on the benches and stared out quietly onto the P.E class as they would usually do, continuing to hold hands.

It was a perfect spring afternoon, for eating lunch outside. The grass was green, and flowers at full bloom now with the cheery blossom tree petals scattered beautifully all along the ground. Nazz seemed to enjoy the view very much, her perfectly golden hair dancing among the winds soft waves. Kevin felt nervous about telling her, he hoped she wouldn't react too badly. He felt his hand begin to become a bit sweaty and tried to retrieve his hand, but was held tightly by Nazz who turned with distressed eyes to him. "Kevin, what's wrong…?" she asked praying to god he wouldn't shut her out again.

Kevin could see it in her eyes, she way pleading for a truthful response from him. There was no backing out; she should know, Nazz was his best friend after all. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly his breath a bit shaky, his hands holding tightly onto hers. "Nazz..." He began "I'm sorry, I got too caught up with something else, something that is important to me" He looked up to her to see her reaction. "Promise that you won't get mad, Kay?"

Nazz gave him a lopsided smile "why would I get mad at you?"

Kevin ripped his stare from her eyes and focused down on their intertwined hands "Well, it's about...um, Eddward" he whispered out.

He immediately saw how her hands tensed and squeezed his "What's wrong! What did that bastard do now! Damn it Kevin I've told you to tell me these things"

"No, Nazz it not what you think" he tried to calm her down "it's about what he hasn't done actually" he trailed off wanting to explain without giving too much info, well not like he knew many details anyways but he had a good idea.

"What do you mean?" She asked

"...what if, what if there was a reason for all this?" He asked looking straight at her.

"What reason could there be for his actions? For the way the J's beat you! They are natural assholes that's it." She tried to let go of his hands, but now Kevin held it tightly.

"Nazz..." He sighed "I don't know about Jimmy and Johnny but I at least know enough about Eddward to know he doesn't mean it..."

"Mean it! Of course he doesn't mean it Kevin, the way he's been tormenting us and the rest of this fucking school, clearly he doesn't mean it, he just has fun ruling this town" Nazz looked extremely confused at her best friend "what do you know about Vincent? How do you know _anything_ about him?"

"Nazz please calm down, he's... He's not what he seems; you know that saying about how not to judge a book by its cover...it's kinda like that" The ginger gave a small squeeze to her slightly trembling hand who in response ripped it away.

"Alright I won't judge his cover then let's take a look at his contents shall we! In middle school he'd get into trouble with his old friends, the Ed's, he'd be the brains behind their stupid shit that always ended up with someone hurt. He would beat his ex-Marie Kanker! And since High school he's been beating on everyone at school, and may I remind you, he personally nearly killed me when I tried to talk last year!" Nazz had stood up in a rage "Clearly it seems you know more than me about Eddward Vincent but I'm the one who has grown up watching his reign of terror this entire time. The reason you never knew anything about that monster was because you were going to school on the other side of town until high school Kevin!"

Kevin looked shocked at her rage, he had forgotten that Nazz had attended school with Eddward since elementary. "...look maybe I don't know a whole lot, but he's broken, been broken for a long time Nazz... He needs me" he looked up carefully at the blond.

"Needs you..?" She breathed out confused "Is this where you have been disappearing to this entire month? Have you been meeting with him" She asked more baffled than ever.

"Yeah"

She kneeled down and grabbed his slender arms "Kevin is he-"

"No Nazz you're not listening to me, he hasn't done anything, he hasn't laid a hand on me nor has he been forcing me to do anything" Kevin interrupted her knowing what she was worried about. "I just don't want to lie to you anymore"

"You have been lying to me this entire time..." She let go of his arms "you've never let me see or know how bad your wounds are from the beatings, how is this any different? What if you're lying to me again" Nazz looked down at her hands "How can I trust that you are telling me the truth? You can't trust him Kevin, he'll be the death of you"

"Then I'll start digging my grave..." he gave her a somberly smile "But please don't go, I need you"

She returned as sad smile to him and leaned closed to be engulfed in his arms "I don't know what I'd do without you"

They sat there in silence leaning into each other's presence. Nazz was certain nothing good could come from being around Eddward. Kevin didn't know what he was getting into and was sure that the raven haired was going to harm the little ginger; she however wasn't going to let that happen. Kevin always tried to seem stronger than he was, and she knew even he had his limits. The only reason Kevin started getting picked on was because of Nazz, and now it was her duty to free him of this problem.

...

Kevin watched his small feet step in front of the other, the air hitting his shoe lace which bounced with every step. His bag was heavy today, maybe with the amount of textbooks he needed to take home for that week. He heard the sound of familiar footsteps fill his hears, and then came into sight. They were shoes that were most likely twice his size, he stared at every detail of the shoes noticing that they were oddly very neat and clean. Every step they took seem to leave a trail of needles behind, they were such graceful yet painful footsteps. He realized that the pair had stopped in their tracks and turned to his direction as if waiting for him.

The ginger delicately looked up to see a pair of long legs attached to the shoes, and then a firm slender chest with broad shoulders hidden behind a long sleeved shirt. A bit further up and he saw a beautiful exposed neck that lead him to meet with those familiar dark blue gemstones.

Eddward Vincent.

Kevin was well aware that this boy was more than meets the eye…

…

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 _ **ok so clearly the whole posting once a week didn't go as planned lol**_

 _ **Sorry it's just that two of my classes are essay based, so it's a bit hard for me to get motivated on writing when feeling exhausted.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and hope it wan't too bad. We are getting closer to a plot i really want to get to already!**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to the next time i update! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	20. Chapter 20

The tiny ginger sat on the couch with a pencil in hand and a sketchbook on his lap. His olive eyes roam throughout the paper as his hand began to move leaving a trail of lead behind. The line curved and twisted, it went left and right until he lifted his pencil and it came to an end. The boy lowered his hand and stared at his now filled piece of paper. It was nothing but a continuous line becoming a total mess as it went. He sighed, relating it to how his blank mind felt with all his thoughts jumbled up after retreating themselves many times over.

Kevin was trying to wrap his mind about something, about Eddward in particular. For the past 3 days the raven haired teen had seemed to be wanting to tell him something, but in the end never did, or said something else, Kevin knew this because he could tell from his discouraged expression in his eyes as he looked away. He had realized that Eddward hadn't talked much after the moment they had in his back yard. Well, at least he hadn't talked anything about himself since, instead Kevin had chosen to let the boy learn about him and he never pressured Eddward to talk.

The teen supposed that Eddward needed his time to relax and continue it was like he was taking a break. However the last three days seemed more peculiar than usual he appeared awkward about something, but Kevin would ever know what troubled the other boys mind if he didn't speak out. So Kevin left it alone and patiently waited hoping he might finally speak his mind.

Kevin looked up at the clocked and realized it was getting late and was sure his father wouldn't be home for dinner. He got up and heated up leftovers from the previous night and took it to his room to eat. He sat down sketching a couple if ideas for a robot design, writing down commentary here and there next to it. It had seemed like a while that Kevin had felt inspired enough to design something new, or tinkle with parts to create something new.

The ginger checked his phone and noticed he hadn't had any calls or messages and frowned. Nazz had been a bit quiet since they had talked, and he was becoming a bit worried. He was sure that Nazz would have been constantly trying to change his mind, or something, though she hadn't done anything thus far. He still walked her from class to class every day yet she simply smiled and talked little. The teen sighed and lay back on his desk chair looking up to the ceiling; at times like these he wished he was telepathic.

.

.

.

Kevin Barr roamed through the halls heading up to the library to meet the raven haired when he saw something that caught his eyes on the wall. There were many posters announcing events, and career opportunities in the wall all mashed close together, his eyes searched through a particular blue poster announcing something about the swim team. It announced that the next day would be the final match of the peach creek swim team before school ended.

That was when it hit him. Eddward must have been too embarrassed to ask him to go watch the swim meet... right? Or maybe it was the fact that the school year was ending in 2 weeks, and they wouldn't have their usual meet up like these. How were they supposed to communicate, if they didn't have their lockers or classes to pass notes?

Well cell phones duh, but Eddward hadn't given him his number so he felt a bit awkward asking for it. What if Eddward didn't want to give it to him? Kevin breathed in a bit uncomfortable and continued to make his way to the library. Well they still had 2 weeks to figure it out, and as for the match he was definitely going to go watch. He would wait to see if the swimmer would say anything about it, but for the mean time he'd play dumb and give him the pleasant surprise tomorrow when he'd show up.

For now he smiled and walked faster in the direction of the library Eddward was sure to be studying for their final exams that were coming up. Kevin wasn't too worried about them; Eddward had actually been helping him in his studies. So he knew he was sure to pass them since he had the help of the smartest kid in school, actually in their entire generation Kevin liked to believe. Eddward was truly a prodigy, widely talented and he could tell the guy didn't give himself enough credit.

Just has he thought, Eddward was sitting on that same corner table scribbling on a notebook. If Kevin had to be honest, he thought the raven haired never studied and was just born with an all knowing brain. His backpack never seemed to carry much of anything, it seemed like he just carried it for show. Kevin's however was always packed with notebooks and texts, a very messy backpack quite frankly.

The ginger with a simple hello took his usual seat across from the other and began to pull out his bio text to study as well. The raven haired made no reaction as he felt the smaller boy taking his seat; he simply continued to write on the notebook. Kevin tried to focus on the text but his mind was too focused trying to read Eddward's silent body language. He could feel that awkwardness again, the swimmer didn't make any motion expect for the graceful movements of his hand and the piercing stare on the paper. The ginger waited for him to say something, but before he knew it the bell's ringing filled his ears making him jump in surprise. Eddward packed his things and stood up "See you in class" was all he said before departing.

Kevin watched the teen walk off feeling a bit disappointed that he hadn't said anything. Maybe he was just too focused on his studies, or maybe that wasn't the reason Eddward was being weird. Nonetheless Kevin was more than excited to once again see the marvelous shark dominate above all, and win yet another match for the school.

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The next day it started the same.

Kevin met up with Nazz who had seemed to be in a better mood that day; she gave him a small smile before leaving for class. He supposed he'd mention the match when he walked her to lunch later that day. The ginger walked completely in bliss throughout that entire day without suspecting a thing, without noticing the angry crystal eyes following him.

…

"Hey Kevin" Nazz turned towards the ginger as they walked to the lunch room "are you going to go to the swim meet today?"

Kevin felt a bit nervous sensing a bit of discomfort on the blonds tone. "Y-Yeah…"

The blond felt silent for a moment "Are, are you ok?" She asked flashing her pretty blue eyes at him in concern.

He turned and looked at her a bit confused by the question. He supposed she still wasn't convinced. "I'm perfectly fine Nazz, don't worry" he smiled kindly "Actually…um do you want to come along?"

She hesitated a moment before wrapping him up in a hug, placing her head against his freckled neck, and held tightly "I'm sorry" she mumbled into his neck before letting go "I…I can't…bye" she spoke softly before turning and walking away into the lunch room to meet with her friends.

Kevin frowned watching her disappear into the sea of students, and sighed scratching his short orange hair. No, he wasn't going to get gloomy today it was going to be great, and he dashed to the library to meet the swimmer.

He stopped before reaching the back corner table noticing Eddward was nowhere in sight. He roamed through the book shelves seeing if he was hidden in one the rows. Nope, Kevin awkwardly took a seat not knowing what to do. He supposed the teen was in the natatorium preparing for his match, so he sat there reading a book for the rest of the lunch period, just praying the rest of the day would pass quickly.

…

The ginger couldn't have seen it coming.

He had been blessed with peace thanks to the raven haired teen for too long that it had become a norm now. He had forgotten the pain that surged through him at the contact of a fist to his body, the spinning of his head at the loss of blood, and the hands and knees that trembled uncontrollably from fear.

Kevin walked to his locker after school after leaving Nazz at the front of the school entrance. Every student was rushing to the natatorium cheering and chanting "SHARKS SHARKS SHARKS" trying to intimidate the rivaling school. Kevin left his messenger bag in his locker not wanting to bother with it in the crowed benches and started following the crowd down the hall when he decided to quickly stop at the restroom. As soon as he entered he felt a strong hand push him hard further inside the room making him lose his balance. Kevin stumbled to catch his footing as he turned around in shock to see his attacker. He immediately recognized the familiar face of the black leathered blond that stood before him with a scowl on his face.

The blond took out a key from his pocket and turned a moment to lock the door. At this Kevin paled and was paralyzed in the spot he was standing with wide eyes _oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck_ his mind screamed. Kevin kept his eyes on the ground where he could see the others feet, he felt too afraid to look straight at the blond. He saw Jimmy make his way closer to him and he forced his feet to take a step back until his back hit the wall, then his knees began to tremble. He had no escape this time.

Eddward wasn't here to save him this time. _Shit!_

Jimmy grabbed Kevin by the neck and forced him to look up. He could see the honest fear he had in them as they remembered all the beating he had inflicted upon his pathetic body. "Hey there Barr, it's been a while hasn't it" he cocked his head a bit to the side smirking at the squirming Kevin. "It's been far too long for my liking…" Jimmy frowned squeezing Kevin tighter and pushing him harder against the wall. "How about we have some fun, for old time's sake?"

Suddenly along with the erupting of cheering from outside Jimmy picked little Kevin up and threw him towards a stall. Kevin landed hard on his shoulder and he greeted his teeth to hold his scream, and tried to quickly get on his feet when a foot came down hard on his chest to hold him in place. Kevin gasped feel all the air leave his body for a moment, he threw his hands up to grab and try to pull away from his attacker. "Let me go asshole!"

That outburst however earned him another hard slam on his chest, and the ginger tried his very best to take it, by squeezing his eyes tightly and groaning through his teeth. "Guess what you nerd; I get to have it MY way today. The fucking captain is too distracted today to give a shit on your whereabouts, and its Friday so he won't have a fucking clue about day" Jimmy kicked Kevin hard again, he could hear the cheering getting louder and louder and he simply smirked down at the ginger. He knelt down and began punching the poor teen, all over not caring about where bruises were going to show.

Kevin tried his very best to get away but it was all to no avail, he screamed but was immediately silenced by a kick or punch to his chest. Jimmy picked him up and threw him once again, his body hitting the edge of a sink. Jimmy got close and kicked him straight in the face, and that's when Kevin knew for sure his nose had broken, his vision got blurry and everything seemed to be in slow motion. He saw the blond walk closer and knelt then lifted his arm and gave him one final punch before Kevin became unconscious. The only noise he could hear as he closed his eyes was the excited cheering and chanting from the natatorium "SHARKS SHARKS SHARKS" and a faint evil chuckle.

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Kevin blinked slowly, his olive eyes roaming the room. He identified it as a bathroom, _wait… the school bathroom, wait wait wait!_ Kevin's eyes shot open and he immediate sat up to take a better look at his surroundings praying the blond wasn't still there waiting for another round. He felt a striking surge of pain all over his body, and his head was aching from dizziness. He realized that the blond had gone and slowly stood up wincing as he did to walk over to the door. Kevin reached with trembling hands praying now that he had left the door open. Thankfully for him he had.

For some reason Kevin grabbed at his chest feeling suffocated and absolutely terrified. Tears build up in his eyes and he tried not to let them fall, but it was hard to when he once again remembered all the physical pain, and thoughts of what terrible things Jimmy could do to him. And he didn't have the power to stop it from happening. Kevin felt so weak knowing that he couldn't do a damn thing to defend himself unless Eddward was present. He heard silence through the entire school as he walked, he guessed everyone had gone home by this time, but nonetheless he entered the natatorium.

The large empty room somehow filled him with a weird comfort that caused Kevin to sink to his knees and begin sobbing. His entire body felt numb with pain and simply anger. He was angry with the fact that even having Eddward around wouldn't guarantee his safety unless he was physically there. He was angry that the J's couldn't give it a rest and he was angry for being so fucking weak that he couldn't even push the guy off to run away. "Pathetic Kevin, you're so fucking pathetic" the ginger sobbed into one of his sleeves.

He heard rapid footsteps come toward his way and his body tensed, and as he felt a hand touch his shoulder the ginger instinctively stood to run away terrified out of his mind thinking it was Jimmy. Kevin almost reached the doors when the hands grabbed his arm and spun him around. Petrified green met concerned blue.

A very concerned Eddward stared at the ginger. He could see that he had a black eye, some swelling on his cheek and a horribly bruised bloody nose. From this Eddward could imagine what injuries were hidden under his clothing. He saw tears escaping the gingers orbs once again as he leaned into him seeking comfort. Eddward wasn't sure what was happening, and was a bit confused of the gingers actions. However he let the boy sob into his shoulder, and very awkwardly wrapped one arm around his back and another resting on the back of the teens head. The raven haired was more than aware without having Kevin tell him who the person was that attacked him. Johnny was a completely loyal idiot; Jimmy on the other hand…Eddward felt some rage boil in his stomach. He had never seen the ginger so sorrowful, his entire body was trembling out of fear and his tiny hands held tightly onto his jacket.

Kevin and Eddward had sunk down on the floor as Kevin legs had given out. After minutes or maybe hours…god knows how long they were there embraced in each other's arms, Kevin calmed down. Eddward raised Kevin to stand and seeing as the ginger was very tired he bent down to place an arm under the boy's legs, and one on his back lifting him up. Kevin simply turned his head to hide in the swimmer's blood stained shirt.

The ginger was placed down on the bench of the locker rooms, and he squinted his eyes a bit to see the raven haired go pick up his backpack to pull out a first aid. Kevin never had terrible eye sight, so he was alarmed when his vision seemed a tad bit more blurry than usual though he was sure it would be good by tomorrow, at least he hoped. Most of the time Kevin didn't really need his glasses, they were always getting broken so why wear them right?

His trance was interrupted as his felt Eddward's fingers cup his chin. The silent swimmer turned his head this way and that to carefully examine the damage, and began to place some ointment on the bruises and such. His long slender fingers tenderly rubbing at his wounded skin, made Kevin blush a bit. He didn't really know what to say. I mean he hadn't meant to bump into Eddward, but he was more than grateful at his gentle actions though he did feel a bit embarrassed at the thought of crying in front of him.

Before he knew it Eddward was lifting his sweater and shirt "AH wait! I-I can do that at home…" he tried to pull his clothes down embarrassed.

"Kevin, I am more than certain that you will leave most of them be because you won't be able to reach them to cure them properly." Eddward stated simply before pulling the boys hands away and finished undressing him. He stared for a moment at the tiny slim freckled chest filled with some bruises. He sighed and began placing ointment on the bruises the biggest one seem to be the one on his right shoulder and another on his left side. Eddward to notice how soft the boys skin was making it seem fragile. He could tell that Kevin seemed paler than usual, probably from the loss of blood.

When the raven haired was done he stood up to sit next to the boy to turn him around and see the damages on his back. There were many big bruises, both fresh and old. There was a particular nasty one close to his neck causing the swimmer to touch it to see how bad it was. Instantly the ginger flinched away from him and looked back with terrified eyes for a second before calming down. Eddward of course noticed this "it's alright I won't harm you" he spoke calmly and waited patiently for Kevin to turn again. This time he didn't touch it directly and instead dipped a tissue with ointment and messaged the area to relax the nerves of the other.

Eddward handed Kevin his shirt and sweater when finally finished, and sat back in front of him as he watched Kevin awkwardly button up his shirt. "I expect you to treat any other possible injuries you may have" he gesture toward Kevin's lower half of his body.

This made Kevin blush a deep shade of red "I w-will" he stuttered out hearing the other chuckle at his reaction. He watched Eddward stand up and scratch his head from under his beanie. The ginger saw a peek of that silky wavy hair that seemed to never make contact with the outside except for some loose long strands of hair from the back and the front. His hair was darker than the night sky, he saw as some more stands fell from under. Kevin wondered why on earth Eddward would ever want to hide his hair, it was quite honestly lovely. Never mind, he must have had his reasons "Hey Eddward?" he spoke quietly pulling down his sweatshirt.

Eddward turned to face him "Yes?"

"D-did you uh, win?" he looked down knowing the answer to the question but wanted to hear the swimmer say it.

He heard chuckles from the other and then felt a hand ruffle his hair a bit "Do you doubt it Barr?"

Kevin blushed once again from the tenderness of the other's action "of course not…" he mumbled. He felt the other's hand rest on top of his head while fingers rubbed his head slightly, Kevin closed his eyes at the warm feeling and just wanted to lean closer to the other when he felt it lifted away.

Kevin looked up to Eddward as he came back with his backpack hung over his shoulder. "Where are your belongings?" he asked helping Kevin stand.

"In my locker" he said a bit sad as he remembered the conflict that happened right after.

"Come" Eddward pinched the end of Kevin's sleeve to drag him along.

Kevin decided to intertwine his pinkie finger with Eddward's as a simpler way and well, he kind of needed the comforting contact at the moment. He held his breath as he felt the other tense but made no movement to pull away instead the raven haired chained his finger comfortingly to his. Kevin smiled a bit and was glad he was a bit behind the other so Eddward wouldn't see it.

The small teen took his bag out of the locker and the swimmer grabbed it knowing it would only further strain the teens injured body. They walked out to Eddward's car placing the bags in the back seats Eddward paused a second before looking up at the sky noticing the sunset was beginning. He turned to the other "Follow me Kevin" he then began walked towards the school again.

Kevin walked after the taller teen in a bit of a hurry wincing a bit and confused for the reason they were returning. He then saw Eddward head toward the far end of the school, and turn a corner. As he slowly turned he saw a latter placed against the wall of the building, the area seemed to be for storage. "Go up first if you can?" Eddward motioned to Kevin shoulder.

"I-I don't think I can climb it…" he looked up and pressed a hand on his shoulder wincing, yup hurt like shit. Eddward came closer to Kevin picked him up placing the ginger on his back. "W-What a-are you d-doing?" Kevin freaked out holding tightly with his good arm.

Eddward simply smirked and began to climb up "You will see"

Kevin heart felt like exploding he was certain they would fall. He immediately tightly wrapped his legs around Eddward waist. "D-Don't drop us!" he squeezed his eyes shut and hid his face in the boy's beanie.

After a couple of terrifying seconds Kevin felt Eddward place him on the ground and released his hold on him. He opened his eyes and saw that far beyond the trees he could clearly see the sun beginning to set, the sky going dark. He smiled "it's wonderful!" he blurted out. Kevin turned to face Eddward who was only staring back with a small grin on his face.

They sat back against a wall and waited for the glorious multiple colors of the sunset to envelop the sky. "Found this spot back in freshman year" the raven haired stated in a low voice "one of the best spots I believe"

Kevin looked up to him smiling and pulled his legs to his chest "It really is" he sighed. "Though I know another good spot" he grinned.

Eddward looked back down to the teen and raised his eyebrow "Oh yeah where?" he asked.

Kevin smile grew "secret" he teased humming to himself a bit.

"hmm maybe I shouldn't have brought you up here then" Eddward joked.

Kevin loved it. The whole situation seemed like the boy was still trying to comfort him by being friendly. It was fun talking like this; he couldn't believe the amount of caring the swimmer was showing. "I'll show you another day, maybe take my bike" he chuckled.

"Maybe" Eddward relaxed against the wall and stared at the now setting sun. It was beautiful as always; he didn't know what it was but maybe it was the quietness of the town, or the sparkling blue night sky that followed, or maybe it the orange colors that radiated in their last moments. However Eddward loved watching the sun setting, and hiding under the horizon. If he had to be honest every time he watched it, it reminded him of the evening at the bridge that Kevin fucking Barr had come to his rescue out of nowhere. Yet it all made him feel peaceful.

He was surprised as the ginger suddenly leaned on his shoulder. Kevin was very small in frame, and he wondered if he'd ever grow a bit if the beatings stopped completely. Maybe.

Kevin relaxed against the other teen and sighed closing his eyes feeling comforted. This seemed to be his new favorite spot.

…

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 _ **Wah i think this is my longest chapter thus far!**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! i really enjoyed writting it hehe we'll see what happens next chapter between Eddward & Jimmy boy ;P**_

 _ **Please leave a review on your thoughts/ feelings/ predictions, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to the next time i update! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Shall we continue?**_

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The tiny ginger sat on the passenger side of the car looking out the now quiet town. The street lamps illuminated his tired face every time they passed. He turned his head to look at the driver, his sleepy eyes blinking. The crying had made him very tired and now all he wished was to be in bed and asleep. The driver's attention was on the road ahead of him, noting that his ocean eyes turned left and right every so often until they had come to a stop light and looked his direction.

Their eyes locked with one another, silently conversing. The ginger saw the others smooth lips move as if speaking to him, he tried to make out the words but failed. After a moment his hearing finally tuned in and he heard the other speak low "...sleep while we arrive"

Kevin opened his eyes fully with a soft yawn and sat up straight taking in his surrounding noticing they were moving again. He rubbed his tired eyes "hey Eddward?" He lazily turned his head to face the other.

"Hm?" Kevin barely heard the response from the raven haired.

"What...what were you still doing at the school so late?" It had been a question that had been roaming through his mind since Eddward was patching him up in the locker rooms, and honestly he was afraid the same...uh, incident had repeated but looking at the others wrists that was not the case.

Eddward turned down a street before answering "swimming" he simply stated.

"Swimming?" He asked a bit confused, I mean after such an intensive work out why keep swimming for a longer period of time.

"Yes...it helps" the swimmer continued to look straight onto the road his voice not wavering but kept it at a low control tone.

"Hm..." Kevin paused to think about the boy's statement "Eddward?"

The raven haired stopped once again at another red light and turned his head seeing the ginger half asleep. "Yes?"

"Why did you help me?" Kevin had his eyes closed now a bit afraid of looking straight into those wonderful blue eyes.

"Why did you?"

Kevin opened his eyes and saw the green light illuminate the swimmers facial features quite warmly. He closed them again and thought back to the reasons he had chosen to stay close to Eddward even though he had done terrible things to him, Nazz and the entire student body. He remembered the anger he felt after beatings, and when those ice cold eyes stared emotionless into his. Annoyance and frustration filled the bully's expression, something that scared and confused little Kevin immensely. When had all that changed?

Kevin wasn't anger anymore rather he empathized with the raven haired. His heart breaking every single time he got a peek at the faint scars on his wrist, there weren't many but they were there. They always brought the memories of the last swim meet he had attended and the event that followed... He couldn't forget the image of the boy's limp body as he sat on the floor bleeding out, and just accepting it. The memories almost made him cry as that particular afternoon had been such an emotional roller coaster.

The ginger felt something embrace him tightly and then a cool air hit his face and he turned to the object of warmth to cover his face as a familiar scent intruded his nostrils. He dreamt of a mixture of blue, all swaying and mixing around there seemed to be a current pushing his body away. A figure with long beautiful dark hair floated close by. The person seemed content, almost at peace, but Kevin realized the person was crying, their tears adding in to the amount of water that surrounded them. He felt his chest filling with so much sorrow, it was so painful. Letting some of his tears escape he tried to reach out to comfort the person when he felt two strong hands grab his neck from behind and choked him.

...

Eddward placed the sleeping boy's body on his bed, removed his shoes and gently covered him with the sheets and a blanket. He stood up straight looking at the boy for a moment then turned to go out. He went out to the car to retrieve their bags and his swim equipment when he spotted the red head's stupid quiz bowl hat. He opened the passenger door and moved his fingers along the brim of the hat thinking how funny it was that they both shared the obsession of a hat. He grabbed it and closed the car to head back inside.

Heading back inside the swimmer locked the door and slowly made his way up the stairs, his thoughts beginning to drag him down. Eddward's hands tightly held onto the railing and stopped half way up to breath in deeply before continuing. He opened the door quietly and stepped inside quietly then setting their stuff next to his desk before taking a seat in the chair.

He inhaled deeply before exhaling feeling exhausted and rubbed his face with his hands as he slouched down in his chair. He stared at the sleeping boy wondering how on earth he could sleep with such peace when not long ago he himself was torturing the ginger to no end. He wondered if Kevin still feared him, though he was positive although the boy didn't show it that he was, at least a little. The raven haired saw the ginger stir a bit and whine thinking he must have been dreaming and this thought peeked the raven hairs interest. He stood when the boy whimpered again and realized he was gasping as if in pain or having difficulty breathing.

Worried the boy might be hyperventilating he quickly made his way towards him, and tried to shake him a bit to wake him up. The ginger immediately stopped gasping and Eddward now was afraid the boy had stopped breathing so he knelt down and cupped his face pressing 2 fingers on his neck and leaning in close watching the gingers chest. He saw it rise and fall and felt a pulse, sighing the swimmer closed his eyes in relief at the sight and feel of the teen breathing normally.

The raven haired pulled up a bit looking at the boy with his hands still holding his face. Kevin's awkward bangs fell on his eyes, and with one hand the swimmer brush the stands away feeling his fingers brush against the teen's smooth skin. Eddward remembered the tenderness of the red head's skin on his chest and back making him look so delicate, like glass. He had thought in the locker room that if he pressed hard enough the boy would break, so he was gentle. Although he knew very well that Kevin Barr was in fact not as delicate as he thought. The ginger never had been, always putting up with their shit and somehow managing to act...normal. If today he had cried, it was out frustration from the all that they had done. Yes, THEY because for fucks sake being nice to him now didn't cancel the fact that he fucking tortured this innocent boy for no fucking reason.

 _No don't lie Eddward, you did torture this boy for a reason..._

They were right, it wasn't for no reason, and no it most certainly wasn't because he had stepped up to defend Nazz. That might have been the reason for the J's but the motive Eddward tormented Kevin wasn't because of that. This very same hair he held intertwined with his fingers, and those lively olive eyes...fuck even those freckles all over his body...

 _Kevin IS your torment_

Yes, this was the reason. Kevin was a constant reminder of the reason every fucking body in his life left him, abandoned him. How ironic that the being of his torment be had tried so hard rid of was now aiding him, and giving him the companionship he desperately needed. Kevin Barr had Eddward Vincent wrapped around his finger and the kid didn't even know it.

Eddward let go of Kevin's cheek and hair with a shaky breath trying to calm down from his thoughts and mixed feelings. He had to calm down... Kevin stayed... He had been staying by his side after all the crap he had done to him and that was something no one had done before. For that he was thankful, though the swimmer wasn't completely unguarded. He knew this might end sooner or later, for this had to be a dream.

So for the time being he would let himself be fully consumed in this pleasant dream.

Eddward stood up taking on last look at the sleeping boy noticing a bit of drool beginning to escape from his chapped lips. _Ew..._ Taking the sleeve of his shirt he reached down and wiped it off. Just how many times was he going to do that? The teen ran his fingers through his hair taking off the beanie in the process and massaged his scalp causing his hair to fall on his face. He stared down at the gingers chest watching it rise and fall, well it seemed that the ginger would sleep soundly now. So he grabbed a pair of sweat pants and walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

Beanie and sweats in hand he made his way to the guest bedroom which was right next to his room. He entered the nearly empty room and took a seat on the bed looking up at the moon and sky through the window. Kevin was a very odd person he thought as he placed his face in his hands tiredly trying to make his mind go blank. He groaned at the realization that Jimmy had now become a problem...hopefully he wouldn't be uncontrollable.

He decided he'd deal with the blond on Monday so for now be changed and laid in bed thinking about the days event. Suddenly he froze... Kevin had planned to go to his final swim meet of the school year...

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Kevin cringed his nose scrunching and his chapped lips forming a frown as he let out a groan. His hand made its way up to his painfully sore shoulder and pressed some pressure on it, fuck... Pain surged through his entire body. He felt too sleepy to open his eyes but the warmth of the sun that peeked through the blinds annoyed him. The ginger rolled onto his side slowly blinking until his eyes were open and looked around the room. Simple, organized, and labeled...Eddward's room.

Sitting up he rubbed at his face and sighed his eyes feeling a bit puffy. Embarrassed he curled up and covered himself with the sheets not knowing how to face the swimmer who was sure down stairs. Hm déjà vu much?

He saw their bags set down by the desk and went to retrieve his phone. He sat down on the floor and noticed a fair amount of calls from his father, _shit I fell asleep and forgot to call him... Wait, I fell asleep..._ Kevin embarrassment went through the roof at the thought that Eddward must have had to carry him and all. "God this sucks" the last thing he wanted was to be a bother to the raven haired teen. He sighed trying to calm down noticing it was slightly past 9:00 so it was still a good time to call his father.

"Kevin! Where are you boy you didn't contact me at all!" Kevin could hear his father's concerned raspy voice on the other line.

"Sorry dad, I was going to let you know I was going to spend the night at, uh, my friend's house and I kind of fell asleep" Kevin said lamely looking around the room and read the labels to distract from his nerves. Table, chair, bed... Hm

"It's alright son just don't let it happen again. Give Nazz a call I'm afraid she might be concerned also. I called her to see if you had spent the night."

"Yeah I will, sorry again didn't mean to worry you" Kevin said sheepishly.

"Nah it's okay. Ya know I'm happier you're making new friends kiddo. Since Rolf left you've been too isolated, always just with Nazz I mean she's a sweet girl but it's good to have someone new in your life." Mr. Barr chuckled a bit.

"...yeah me too" Kevin breathed out slowly. Were they even friends? What did Edward think they were?

"You know if you wanna spend another night it's perfectly fine. I'll be working late so have fun today ok?"

Kevin looked at himself through a full body mirror in the corner and saw how beat up he was, and it was definitely not a good idea to be back home. "Thanks dad, I think I will"

"Alrighty then have a good day kid I'll see you tomorrow" Kevin would practically see the smile on his father's face.

"Kay thanks and don't overwork yourself too much" Kevin sighed.

Kevin's father laughed "well someone has to pay these bills Junior" that's when Kevin realized something..."Goodbye son"

"Bye dad" Kevin hung his phone and looked around the neat room once more. This house was big, spacious and elegant, but if Eddward's parents weren't around then who was paying all the bills?! Who was bringing groceries for the guy? Who cooked, who cleaned, who did everything that needed to be done! Fuck, were Eddward's parents really so cruel as to leave the boy completely alone? Did they at least pay for the bills, because last time he checked a 16 year old cannot afford to live a gigantic house like this! Did they ever so their face?! "This is so fucked up" Kevin sighed.

The ginger figured he should call Nazz and let her know he was fine or she might just go to the police and report him as missing. He chuckled at the idea seeing posters all over town when in reality he was at Eddward's. He dialed her number and waited patiently praying that his previous thoughts about the swimmers parents might be wrong.

"KEVIN! Oh my god you're alive!" The blond yelped

Kevin pulled the phone from his ear cringing at the shout through the cell phone. "Yeah Nazz I'm alive" he chuckled putting the phone to his ear once again.

"Where have you been? You're dad and I were worried- wait, are you...are you in with _him?_ Are you in _his_ lair?" The girl sounded simply horrified at the situation.

Kevin laughed running a hand through his short hair "it's not much of a lair to be honest, but yeah I'm at Eddward's"

Nazz gasped "...and you're alive! Oh my god how did you survive?"

Kevin chuckled shaking his head a bit "I've told you, he's..." The ginger looked back to the door checking if he was still alone "he's not that big bad shark everyone thinks he is. He's actually, uh, fine… just please don't tell anyone Kay?"

"...I-I simply don't know what you see in him Kev" the blond spoke softly "all I ask is that your careful understood?"

Kevin smiled "I promise, don't worry about me I'll be fine Nazz"

"Okay...see you Monday then?"

"Yeah I'll see you Monday, bye Nazz"

"Bye bye Kevin"

Kevin hung the phone and placed it on the floor pulling his legs close to his chest. His eyes roamed through the reflection in the mirror, seeing his clothes all ruffled and he realized he looked like he had been run over by a truck. _Terrible, simply terrible_. The boy stood cautiously and tried to fix the mess that was him. He straightened his sweater and combed his hair with his fingers. The ginger leaned close to the mirror looking at his bruised nose, busted lip and black eye.

The teen jumped when he heard the door opening and turned around seeing none other than Eddward. The raven haired had a hint of surprise in his expression, but nonetheless was composed. In seconds Kevin realized that the swimmer was shirtless and wearing sweats that hung low on his hips. His hair still seemed a bit damped from under his beanie that beautifully curled at the edges. His smooth chest shinning from the shower and elegantly illuminating his well-defined muscles and abs. "You're awake" the swimmer stated breaking the silence.

Kevin ripped his eyes away blushing "Good morning..." The teen said awkwardly still feeling embarrassed from the previous day and well, the half-naked Eddward.

"Morning...how are you feeling?" He asked closing the door behind him and made his way toward the ginger.

Kevin hesitantly looked up beat red at the tanned chest in front of him. Honestly he shouldn't be so embarrassed about it because clearly this wasn't the first time he had seen Eddward in a similar state. "Better I guess, pretty sore" he decided to stare at the teen's neck finding it a safe area to look without feeling distressed.

However the swimmer took hold of his chin gently and made him look up, causing their blue and green orbs to lock with one another. Kevin noted a similar look was expressed in the raven haired eyes as the one he had in the car the previous night. "You look utterly horrid Barr"

The ginger chuckled at this moving his sight to the side "yeah I know he did a good one on me" he said shrugging his shoulders and wincing as the pain from his right side ached from the movement.

"Go take a shower it will do you good" Kevin felt the teen gently touch his hair with the tips of his slender fingers making him shudder at the feeling.

He looked back up to the swimmer "but I don't have-" he began to protest but was interrupted.

"You may borrow mine" Eddward said giving the a push forward "I'll apply some more ointment on your wounds after you are finished" the swimmer walked over to his closet and looked over what might fit the ginger before reaching for some black shorts and a red T-shirt and handing them to Kevin. "There's a clean towel in there" he said shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Okay..." The ginger said focused on the clothes in his hands unable to look up for fear of being caught staring. He turned and walked out closing the door behind him exhaling a shaky breath with a flushed face, come on they were both guys and Kevin had seen many guys practically in the nude in the locker rooms before. Yet he couldn't help but take notice how well built the swimmer was although being slender. Well at least he now could begin to comprehend why all the cheerleaders swoon at his presence. It wasn't very difficult to see that the guy was, well um attractive…

Little Kevin entered the bathroom and locked the door placing the clean clothes on the toilet seat. The ginger looked at his reflection in the mirror and began to undress seeing all the bruises and healing wounds covering his chest. The image was definitely not what he'd call attractive. His body was so scrawny and skinny and pale... All the freckles made him look like a twelve year old and it frustrated him maybe that was the reason no one took him seriously. In comparison to Eddward's god like body his was simply disgraceful. Hm disgraceful was the very word Kevin would use to describe himself all around actually.

Frustrated he decided to ignore his mind and try to lock away the image of half-naked Eddward and got in the shower feeling the warm water run down his skin calming him immensely. The guy was right the shower did do him good.

...

Eddward sat on his bed now wearing a long sleeved shirt looking down at his intertwined fingers. The raven haired was lost in his mind fairly he couldn't wrap his mind with the simplest of thoughts. All he knew was that he felt weird, a very peculiar feeling that made him uncomfortable with himself. So as he waited for the ginger he played with his fingers, picking at his nails until they'd bleed. Disgusting really, but how else was he supposed to get his mind off his thoughts. If he was too deep in thought he was sure they'd come back, they'd begin to tell him his doubts, and try and wake him up from this dream.

They'd usually whisper when he was asleep, usually stirring him awake, or bringing him flash backs of his failed relationships with people. Those nights he'd lay awake staring at the ceiling frightened to sleep and that he'd have night terrors about his reality. Unfortunately that night had been one of those nights, he had dreamt of the ginger angered, and in pain. The smaller teen had been yelling at him before his body began to crack much like glass would. The raven haired had tried to reach out but the boy hadn't let him, he'd pushed him away with a disgusted look and then yelled "I HATE YOU" before crumbling down into thousands of pieces.

Well, let's just say the swimmer hadn't gotten much sleep after that, instead he lay awake trying his hardest to surpass the urge to go into his room and see Kevin. He had watched the sun rise into the sky and felt the cool night air warm up quickly. Eddward ran his fingers through his hair tugging at it a bit to make sure he stayed awake. An hour or so later the June air was beginning to become too hot for him and he decided that a shower would cool him down.

His head rose when he heard the door slowly creak open and the tiny ginger stepped inside wearing his clothes. The sight was quite endearing, his shorts reached past the teens knees and the sleeves past his elbows. Eddward chuckled at the boy, now he really did look like a middle schooler. "Come sit down" he said scooting to the side.

The ginger blushed looking down as he moved to sit down "don't laugh..." He pouted as he hesitantly took a seat next to the raven haired teen.

Eddward turned around to grab the little bottle of ointment set on the night stand. When he looked back he saw the ginger had his eyes closed tightly holding back a scream as he struggled to get the shirt off because of his shoulder injury. Placing the bottle down on the bed Eddward helped pull the clothing through Kevin's left arm and over his head. Then gingerly pulled it down his right arm and set it aside.

Once again he was able to see the fragile of the gingers body. It was just the wounds and bruises that made him appear this way, and once they healed he wouldn't look delicate. The swimmer began to feel slightly nauseous from the thought of his dream last night. The teen ran his fingers through the bruised shoulder well aware that wounded boy's eyes followed his every movement.

Kevin was curious wondering where the teen's fingers would lead, what they traced or what he was imagining. He pondered if they still held the potential to be dangerous, and if Eddward still possessed any intent of hurting someone, or him. It would be easy, the raven haired was physically stronger by a long shot and Kevin could do nothing about it. He couldn't even run away because this was Eddward's domain, he was in behind a potential enemy's lines.

Yet as those cyan eyes stared at his scrawny body he did not see the anger they once retained that immediately alarmed the ginger of the danger that was to come. Instead he saw a mellow glimmer shine through.

Intrigued the ginger continued to shadow the raven haired movements, his long fingers tracing his body much like a pencil on paper. They were sluggish, elegant and precise. Kevin thought that Eddward was secretly engraving his body with invisible ink. The ginger wouldn't have minded if that were the case, because it would be the one thing on his wretched body that he would admire. Why? Well because the swimmers handwriting was celestial and exquisite.

Blinking Eddward finally tore his gaze and began to disinfect the wounds and applied the ointment onto the injuries. Delicately he massaged the muscles to relax the ginger much like he had done in the locker room. He moved slowly relaxing one hand on the boys back for support while the other worked around his chest and arms.

"Eddward..." Kevin's quiet voice called out. The teen simply looked up giving a glance and hummed as a response before continuing to concentrate on his task. The ginger blushed immensely feeling extremely awkward "...thanks..." The ginger closed his eyes.

"For what?"

Damn it this bastard knew exactly why he was thanking him for. "You know for...for everything"

Eddward shifted kneeling in front of Kevin and cupped his chin lowering the ginger's head to look straight at him. The swimmer ran a finger along Kevin's bottom lip feeling its dryness. His hand then moved upward where his thumb brushed against his bruised eye making Kevin shut them on instinct. Guilt and anger consumed him at the sight of the boy. He then looked down placing the cream on the smaller teen's bruised legs.

Kevin had seen something in Eddward facial features pass by quickly, a silent emotion he couldn't read. It was quick but radiated when it showed through, it was something heartfelt and caring. The raven haired now seemed almost relieved if not grateful for Kevin's words. This made the ginger question Eddward's motives of caring for him. _Is he just paying a debt to me? Or is he trying to actually change? Is Eddward trying to show me something? Does he genuinely care about my well-being?_ It was just one look, a sincere look that confused Kevin to no end.

Instantly Kevin remembered one of their discussions when he had stayed over that day after finding Eddward bleeding out in the locker rooms.

 _"It's hard to imagine you giving a single damn about the person who has given you hell... Do you even care about me or are you just doing this solely for the memory of your beloved person?" Eddward opened his eyes staring straight at Kevin's._

Those blue eyes had been so honest delicate and wavered with a stern fear that had made the gingers choke on his words. He had been conflicted in his mind, and he had been too fearful at the time.

Now almost two months later Kevin could confidently say it without hesitating.

He truly did care.

Eddward then stood and sat behind Kevin making the ginger jump a bit at the sudden feeling of the cool cream on his skin. The air in the room wasn't necessarily hot but it was warm enough to add on to Kevin's flushed face. Kevin felt irritated realizing he had blushing madly since he had seen the teen shirtless. The cool cream was exactly what he needed to keep his mind off his embarrassment and his complicated thoughts. He wondered if he would ever be able to answer all questions he had locked away in his brain.

...

The rest of the day went rather quickly for both boys. They had spent their day lightly chit chatting about anything and everything that came to mind while they sat in Eddward's back yard encompassed with a quiet summer afternoon. Kevin's grin grew wider every time he would hear the raven hair's heart lifting chuckle.

The boys were in a weird place, and both were perplexed by their situation. They were a bully and a victim, a predator and a prey...a shark and a minnow…

…Sitting side by side just enjoying each other's company.

It was something totally different and new. It was something fresh and tender easily breakable but somehow maintained. It was like a tiny flower emerging from a mountain of snow. Kevin wished all the snow would melt soon, however this was a good start because it meant there was life blossoming in their unusual, fragile bond. This was potentially the first of many flowers to bloom.

The companionship was good enough for the time being. The ginger could see the features on Eddward's face lighten during these kinds of conversations. At first it would take some effort on Kevin's part to get the raven haired comfortable enough to finally start talking but once _that_ happened the ginger couldn't get enough. Huh, who knew...

That night Kevin went to sleep in the guest room feeling better than he had before. It was a refreshing feeling to have someone physically there with him after he was full of distress from a bad beating. Eddward hadn't mentioned anything in regards to the previous days regard and to the ginger that was perfectly fine, so he didn't bring it up either. Kevin assumed the swimmer wouldn't do anything or say anything to the menacing blond knowing it could put his reputation at risk. The ginger understood that and something like that was too much to ask so early into this, this, bond they had. Well, at least that's what he thought.

Nonetheless Kevin was more than grateful for Eddward's care and company. The ginger prayed that the rest of his High school years could go on like this, because he knew that this was the only way he could survive mentally and physically, for now perhaps...

...

* * *

 _ **I apologize this took me forever to update, but just a heads up the next 3 weeks are going to be chaotic for me, so please be patient :)**_

 _ **ANYWAYS...**_

 _ **What's happening between Eddward and Kevin?**_

 _ **Will Nazz step up?**_

 ** _Will Eddward confront Jimmy?_**

 _ **Thoughts? Predictions? Feelings?**_

 _ **Please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much & look forward to the next time i update! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**I'M SO FKING SORRY! it's been FAR too long since my last update. Finals and personal shiz happened making me extremely unmotivated.**_

 _ **But fear not for there is finally a new chapter.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

His vision was unfocused, his body was trembling in rage and his hearing kept tuning off and on the loud shouting. There were multiple figures but he only noticed one, a certain red head laying on the ground glaring at him with enraged tears spilling down his cheeks. The boy sat on the ground holding tightly on to another figure in a protective manner, his green eyes set on his blue ones, they were pleading him for his help. His lips were moving his voice wanting to yell at him, but instead were replaced with his gasps of pain. The teen knew however that if the ginger was able to scream at him, the boy would be yelling with a disappointed voice and the thought hurt a little too much. The boy's sobs choked midway when the ginger saw that he turned his head away, rejecting his plead. There wasn't anything he could do.

You see, Eddward James Vincent... was a fucking coward.

.

.

.

The ginger woke up from a heavy sleep thanks to the sounds outside of school buses and children running and laughing. The night had become too hot for him and his sheets were all messed up partially covering his right leg and the rest lay on the floor. A hand was placed on his freckled stomach while the other was resting high above his head.

The boy sighed exhausted before remembering it was Thursday...second to last day of school. He smiled crookedly thinking happily about the fun things he had planned this summer. "Kevin! Get up you still got two more days of school" Kevin's father called out from downstairs.

Kevin groaned finally sitting up and stepped off his bed. His bruises from the bathroom incident had mainly all healed, some green spots still here and there. Though that didn't mean there still were new ones dominating his pale skin. Thankfully Nazz had lend him her makeup to cover up, or else he wouldn't have known what his father would do if he found out. No, correction he knew _exactly_ what his father was capable of, so Kevin was more than careful to hide them even going as far to lock himself in his room for 2 days. The boy was terribly sorry however because he could see the sadness in his father's eyes when he finally came out wearing the makeup pretending everything was normal. His father however thought it was just his rebellious teen years that had kept him in his room.

The tiny teen dressed in jeans, a shirt and a thin jacket (it was simply too hot to wear a sweatshirt) then met his dad downstairs and his grin only grew wider as he saw a plate of pancakes and cut up fruit. "Woah dad what's the occasion?" He asked taking a seat.

The Barr man chuckled "Can't a father just cook some good ass food for the best son in the world?"

"Geez dad, don't be such a sap" Kevin awkwardly chuckled blushing a bit as he picked up a fork to begin eating.

"What, you've worked hard this year kid, I'm confident you did amazing on your finals, and, not to mention that last quiz bowl competition" Mr. Barr said proudly "Heck I'll even let you stay over at your friends place if you wanna, I don't know just relax for once and enjoy these last two boring days of school" he patted his sons small red head teasingly.

Kevin groaned "God I don't even know why the heck we still have to go, I mean I've turned everything in" his eyes sparkled when his father gave him permission to stay over at Eddward's "Thanks dad!"

"Don't mention it kiddo" The two Barr men ate in wonderful chitter chatter, Mr. Barr recalling some of his high school days. He told Kevin once again about a time when he and a group of four other friends which included Kevin's mother had broken into a mini golf course and competed against each other. From that night onwards Kevin's father had begun dating Kevin's mother, Lizzy.

Kevin loved hearing the story no matter how many times his father told it to him. When he was little he'd made his father tell him the memory as a bed time story eventually memorizing the entire thing, though he's father always told it best.

In his mind she was beautiful, though he wondered why he never saw the picture of her. His father always said that she liked to be behind the camera, never in front of it. The Barr man always described the woman as petite, with olive eyes, and light brown, short, messy hair that curled beautifully around her face. Kevin's father always said how she was heavily freckled and that Kevin had inherited that from her.

When Kevin was about nine he found some old photos in a box his mother had taken, some of his father in his teen years, others of objects or sceneries. He had turned over all the pictures he had found and in every polarized picture there was something written on it. " _Dearest Tom, I simply can't find the cure to quit you" "Tom, the sunset heavily reminds me of your striking ginger locks" "My beloved Tom, I sincerely pray your charm on me never wears off"_ _"Tom, I am madly in love with you"_

Kevin's father had told him how the woman would take pictures of places or corners (She was an amazing photographer) and would write lovely quotes on the back from literature or sometimes of her own to then place it inside the Barr man's locker. It was a riddle for him to solve so he'd know where to find her after school. Little Kevin knew she must have been so lovely and full of life.

"So have you thought about what colleges you want to apply for Junior?" Kevin's father broke his train of thought as he picked up the plates and began to wash them.

"I have a couple in mind but I still got two years before I choose" Kevin walked over to help his father with the dishes.

"It's good to have options in mind in the meantime" The Barr man smiled his wrinkled eyes softening as his son stood next to help.

Looking up at the clock after finishing drying the last plate Kevin noticed he was going to be late "Alright I'm off to school Dad" the ginger announced rushing off to the living room.

"Woah wait a minute Kevin! Let me give you a ride to school" the Barr man rushed out drying his hands.

"Uh ok but we gotta leave now" Kevin hopped from foot to foot impatiently.

"Alright Alright" The man laughed quickly searching for his keys "ok ready" he said finally picking them up from behind the home telephone.

It had been a long while since the Barr men had had such a bright morning.

It was nice.

…

A strong body was slammed against a back wall. The leathered blond grinned menacingly as his companion held their grip on his jacket. "I wouldn't do that if I were you Captain"

The raven haired teen looked more than pissed back at the blond "you're reckless behavior is going to get us caught you imbecile!"

"You know it doesn't really matter" the blond folded his arms against his chest "my father practically owns this school. Principal can't do shit"

"Not if there is evidence against you" Eddward growled out

Jimmy laughed "I could get away with murder my dear Captain, you on the other hand..." He trailed off smiling up at the teen.

Yes, Eddward was by far more intimidating, and he was physically stronger by a long shot than Jimmy. However between the two of them, Jimmy was the one who was more powerful. His family over flooded in riches that had spoiled the teen. The only reason why the blond let the raven haired teen lead in their little gang was because it was convenient for him. Everything they did was to be blamed on Eddward. He was their Captain after all.

Eddward snared at the blond knowing it was true, should word get out about their bullying (more like physical abuse at this point) it would all fall on him. Jimmy and Johnny had their rich ass fathers to bail them out or shut the school up. What was he to do? Nothing, he'd be expelled and there wouldn't be anything he could do. He's parents were nowhere to be seen, not like they cared anyways.

If the raven haired had to be honest, school was the only thing keeping him driven. Sure he hated absolutely everyone there, but he loved to learn, he loved the stacks of books in the library, and he loved the quietness of the natatorium long after school had ended. Well, they were a few things he enjoyed, and he had learned that he enjoyed the company of a certain ginger as well.

Yet there was nothing he could do. The blond wouldn't listen to him if he'd tell him to stop with everything they had been doing. The blond wouldn't give a fuck, and Eddward knew he would be damned either way even if he separated himself.

He heard the school bell ring and harshly shoved the blond once more onto the wall before letting the blond go, and giving him a growl of annoyance.

...

"Kevin I'm doing it today" the short blond girl pulled her best friend out of the busy hallways in between class.

"What?" Kevin asked confused at the sudden action of the girl.

"You know..." She quickly looked around before she spoke once again "rat them out" the girl whispered almost mouthing the words.

Kevin's terrified eyes bulged out of his head "What! N-n no no no! B-bad idea he stuttered frantically.

"Yes! Let's do it, come with me I have it all planned out. We don't have to come to school tomorrow, we'll be safe Kev!" Nazz shook the boys shoulder excitedly.

"No Nazz you can't!" Kevin pleaded looking around anxiously.

"Why not! Come on Kevin we are NOT going to spend the next two years of High school in fear" the girl stated firmly some irritation spilling from her tone.

The ginger held Nazz's hands tightly in his "B-But it's not that bad anymore, no need to make them mad or start something again"

Nazz looked like he had just said the most outrageous thing ever "NOT THAT BAD! Kevin, since last week Jimmy has been randomly kidnapping you and beating you up! I had to lend you makeup! Thank goodness we are out tomorrow but what's going to become of you when Junior year begins!" She screeched out angrily "Come on dude I need you, you still have bruises that counts for evidence!" The blond pleaded.

"I really don't think that's a good idea..."the ginger fiddled with his hair, nervously looking out onto the crowd praying no one would hear them."It's not that easy Nazz"

Frustrated and crushed the blond suddenly came to realize something and gasped "Is...Is this about Eddward…KEVIN is _this_ about him?!" She asked exasperated.

The boy gave her a painfully conflicted look that only furthered to angry the girl. Kevin knew that if Nazz told on them, there was the possibility that Eddward would once again reject his aid and diminish what little bond of trust they had built over the two months. "Please listen to me" he tried to sound more firm to reassure her that he was serious.

"NO KEVIN I WON'T LISTEN TO YOU ANYMORE! I've been listening to you and look where it has gotten us! You getting physically tortured and it's my fault!" The girl burst out angrily "He's going to have to pay for his sins eventually Kevin. You can't save him from that!" With that the blond ran off into the busy hallway.

"Nazz!" Kevin tried to run after her but was pushed away by the crowd as they tried to scurry to their next class. He pushed and shoved eventually breaking through only to find that the girl was nowhere to be seen. The school bell rang right after announcing class was to begin, he ran around the hall quickly but saw no sign of her. Irritated he called and when no answer came he sent a message demanding her to not do something stupid. Sighing heavily he made his way back to class.

…

The blond girl ran as fast as she could, taking an exit through the back of the school trying to avoid teachers. She huffed running her hands through her silky hair conflicted. The girl tried rethinking her plan, or thinking of other possible options. Now how was she supposed to get evidence? Kevin bailed on her, that traitor…after he had promised to be by her side. She heard voices around the corner, staring and trying hard not to make any noise she strained her hearing to figure out who the voices belong to. A dark, snarky voice covered in an obnoxious tone, she recognized it well her body freezing in the spot she was standing. The second an annoyed one, obscure and profound, she rarely heard this person speak only when needed, but she knew who it was anyhow. The voice belong to the one person her Kevin had chosen to side with, Eddward Vincent.

She pulled out her phone wanting to record their conversation. They were sure to spill something out, and when they did she'd make a run for the principal's office. She had to save Kevin from this stupid thing he was in with that Vincent, surely (and only surely) was the ginger forced into it. She knew Eddward for far too long to know he wasn't ever going to change, that all he ever did was malicious doings.

The blond crouched down by the corner of the wall hidden behind a bush praying they wouldn't leave before she caught something that served her recorded or worse…find her.

The boys seemed to be slightly arguing about something, Jimmy seemed to be the one determined to keep on pestering the other. Eddward however... Something seemed off to Nazz his tone sounded conflicted, his voice was strained and a bit hesitant. Normally she never noticed these things especially with Vincent but she would not have been able to catch it had she not sat down to eavesdrop of the conversation.

"Come on Captain, you have to go" Jimmy insisted

"Jim I'm sure you are well aware that I hate social gatherings" Eddward voice deepened trying to sound intimidating.

Jimmy chuckled lowly "you know very well that this isn't just some social gathering, or else I wouldn't be reminding you to go. It's Sam's _party._ "

"One in which I refuse to attend, there is no benefit in going. Last year it was simply a drunken chaos full of idiots." The raven haired continued clearly annoyed.

"This year it's different, last year it was all party though we did had a little fun remember? Those 2 geeky dorks from the freshman robotics club stopped by to play." The blond chuckled "This year it gets better" Jimmy looked around before grinning "I mean we get drinks, bitches and drugs, but" he paused moving closer to the other "We're getting the entire freshman and sophomore robotic and quiz bowl nerds from peach creek and Lemon brook together" he laughed darkly "Sam wants us all together for the main event"

At this the raven haired stared at his companion flabbergasted by the comment "This is Sam's doing?" he spoke slowly

"Yeah man" Jimmy answered leaning against the wall before tilting his head in thought smiling "You know that means our favorite dorks are going to be there, shit that just makes me even more excited"

"Right…" Eddward trailed off hearing the school become busy with noise once again before the bell rang.

At the loud sound of the bell Nazz shrieked in surprise realizing the bell had been placed right above where she hid. Hearing the boys go suddenly quiet she panicked knowing she had been discovered. Quietly she bent down on all fours to crawl away silently before she felt a hand roughly pull on her hair. "LET ME GO!" she yelped.

The tall blond harshly gave the girl a shove against the wall to quiet her before quickly taking her around the corner "Lookie lookie Captain" The blond pushed Nazz out into view in front of Eddward "We've got an eavesdropper"

Nazz landed on her keens wincing at the friction of the payment against her skin. Frozen in her spot she griped her phone tightly trying to hold back her fear. Ever so slowly she looked up into those dark, cold cyan orbs. She could see anger clearly illuminating in them petrifying her as she vividly remembered the events from last year. "Please let me go…" she closed her eyes looking down praying to god that Kevin was right. "I w-won't say a w-word…"

"HA this bitch thinks we're going to let her go!" Jimmy placed his boot on top of her hand and pressed down on it hard "we're not that stupid"

Nazz screamed in pain feeling her phone being crushed under the presser, she quickly tried to pull away as her free hand pounded onto the teens leg "STOP!"

Content with hearing the crushing of the cell phone Jimmy let go and grinned at the smiling girl before looking at Eddward noticing the boy was looking away uncomfortable. "What you're not going to do anything?" he spat.

Eddward looked back at angrily "Don't do anything reckless Jim"

Jimmy laughed "Are you fucking kidding me! It's the perfect time to be reckless!" the teen grabbed at the teary girl's hair "This bitch hasn't learned her lesson, and you're going to let it slide? You're fucking going soft man!"

"Don't you fucking question me Jimmy!" Eddward puffed down standing his ground.

"I'll question you all I want! DO SOMETHING OR SAM'S GOING TO HEAR ABOUT THIS!" The teen yanked the crying girl up onto her feet.

Eddward stared at the crying girl. He couldn't do am damn thing, if he helped her he would be giving up on his rule over the school, the little power he had over Jimmy and Johnny, he'd be turning against... Well the one person who could ruin him. Yet not helping this girl would mean sacrificing something, no someone... Someone he didn't want to let go just yet.

The tall blond stared at the raven head frustrated; he was most certainly not going to give up on the opportunity to show he's power over this god forsaken school. Jimmy _knew_ why the teen was hesitant about hurting the girl. Eddward's entire change in attitude _must_ have been tied to that ginger. The teen was not about to let Eddward surrender his power, he needed him to bring fear and order to this town. "Well?" he questioned gripping the blonde's hair tighter.

"…Get Johnny out here"

…

"God fucking shit Nazz where are you!" the ginger hissed under his breath trying to get in contact with his best friend. The girl wasn't picking up her cell phone and had not shown up to their class either; At this point the boy was extremely worried. Where could she have possibly run off to? He had ran around throughout the entire school trying to avoid teachers and staff as not to get caught skipping. It was time to search outside, for all Kevin knew Nazz could have left the campus entirely.

He quickly and quietly maneuvered his way through hallways until he reached the back doors leading to the football field journey. There was silence all around, the school busy with filled classrooms, the sun's rays made his cheeks blush with heat, though there was something in the warm summer breeze that hit his skin. Some seemed odd, almost scary to him. He recognized this familiar feeling as he took slow steps forward, and looked out onto the field. Dialing Nazz's number once again he came to hear a faint beeping noise not too far away. His heart jumped turning around to find the source of the noise, before he realized that the phone lay slightly crushed on the floor.

Nearly dropping his own cell on the floor, Kevin gulped gripping at his chest staring intently at the crushed one. His heartbeat slowing down every second his mind took to register what the situation meant.

Nazz had been found…

"NAZZ!" In a panic the ginger spun around and rushed towards the fields screaming out the girl's name. They weren't anywhere in the view of the field, of course why would they in such an exposed area during school hours he thought. The boy ran desperately down the steps turning every which way praying she'd hear him, that she was close that she was alright, and that he'd arrived on time. It wasn't until he heard an evil laugh from behind the bleachers that he knew they were indeed close. He turned looking at the far side of the field behind the bleachers he saw Jimmy standing looking out onto the field where Kevin now stood. After a moment the blond then retired behind the benches hidden from sight.

Kevin released an angered growl, spinning his hat backwards so it wouldn't fall off before making a dash to the spot he had seen the teen hide. Kevin Barr was never a man of any physical strength quite honestly but when it came to Nazz he would run to the end of the earth if it meant she'd be happy. So he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, as much as his lungs pumped out oxygen for him, and as much as his body was capable of.

"YOU BETTER FUCKING DO IT VINCENT!"

What he saw shocked him to his very core…

Johnny held Nazz's limp body up from the ground, her pretty blond hair stained with dirt and spots of blood. Her skin completely pale and lifeless, and her face twisted in pain as her tears ran down her cheeks. Jimmy laughed as he stood next to a tall person, who was now looking at him afraid.

A raven haired teen stood in front of Nazz, his hands formed into fists twitching at his sides. His stance a defensive one, cyan orbs looking utterly horrified for a moment before expressing a sort of anger the ginger recognized so well.

"Go on Captain" Jimmy shoved the rave haired forward towards Nazz.

In a blink of an eye Kevin had ran to Nazz and wrapped his arms around her taking her away from Johnny's hold. He cradled her in his arms trying his damn hardest not to cry, she seemed to be in a state of shock. "Hey, it's ok I'm here" the ginger tried his best to sooth her.

Suddenly Kevin felt a harsh pain surged through his back as Johnny planted a strong kick from behind. Kevin arched his back in pain but tried his best to hold tightly onto Nazz as he shielded her from the attacks the kept following. Soon after Jimmy joined in laughing along as they both kicked and punched at the boy.

This couldn't be happening, she had to be ok. Kevin held tightly praying it was all a dream. The pain kept coming, each contact to his body reminding him of every nasty word, punch, kick they had ever thrown at him. He had been taking it all for the girl in his arms, now all that had gone to waste as she lay unconscious. Kevin gasped letting a single tear run down his cheeks before looking up and seeing those long legs in front of him, raising his gaze he saw that perfectly fit torso hidden underneath his usual black jacket, black curls enveloping his cheeks as they escaped underneath his beanie. Finally meeting those cyan eyes…

He begged the teen standing in front of him, giving him a chocked sob to aid him now. Each time he tried to yell his voice drowned by gasps and sobs. This was the opportunity Eddward needed to take to separate himself from these criminals, the moment to prove to him that he wanted to change, and wanted his help. "Please…" he quietly breathed out with a pained grunt after a punch to his face spilling blood from his mouth. The ginger kept his pleading look on the other reading a distant look. Eddward was out of hit, it was like he couldn't see anything that was happening in front of him. Kevin would see blue orbs become somewhat foggy before giving him a pained expression and turning his head away.

This couldn't be Eddward.

This couldn't be the boy Kevin had pestered for the past 2 months. This couldn't be the boy he had shared silent moments in the library reading and studying. This couldn't be the boy he had aided after the cutting incident, nor was this the boy who had begun to share intimate details with him ever so slowly giving him trust. This wasn't the person who had cared for him, or the one he cried for because he empathized.

This was _Eddward Vincent_.

This person was the bully who liked to show his rule over the beating of people. This was the bully who simply didn't give a damn about anything. This was the bully who had threatened, and beaten Kevin. This was the bully who countless of times stared irritably at little Kevin as the J's punched and kicked him until their hearts were content. This was that cruel, coward bastard.

At the cowardly sight of rejection, Kevin let out angrier tears escape his eyes watching Eddward turn his back completely on him. In a state of pure rage he placed Nazz on the concrete and stood launching himself at Jimmy. Taking the teen in a moment off guard the little ginger was able to plant a punch to his chin sending the blond stumbling back in surprise.

Though it only took a second before Jimmy found his composition once again and harshly grabbed at Kevin by his short hair. "YOU LITTLE SHIT! JOHNNY GRAB HIM"

The bald teen followed by grabbing tightly onto Kevin picking him easily up a little off the ground, before shoving him closer and hitting his back with his knee sending Kevin yelping from the pain.

Jimmy leaned in close and grabbed Kevin's cheeks with one hand squeezing hard making the boy's skin turn red. Kevin grunted and violently trying to get out of their hold but his tyrants only held tighter. "So captain, what's it going to be?" Jimmy asked giving a glance towards the other who stood with his hands in his pockets.

Kevin's eyes looked to the side watch the raven haired smallest of movements. He saw the veins on his arms pop out of his arm as they peeked from the opening of his pockets and sleeve. The ginger saw Eddward's body tense completely, his hair hiding his expression but underneath he could tell it had gotten darker. The boy standing there was once again the bully who had tortured him endlessly with no mercy.

Eddward turned his head slightly pausing a moment in thought "Do whatever the fuck you want"

There it was the icy voice that always seemed to petrify him to his very core. The ginger's olive eyes open wide in fear, his mouth dropping open ever so slightly. His chest tightened with a scream he wanted to let out, but just made it hard to breath.

Then Eddward walked away…never looked back

"I'll teach you never to mess with us you bunch of little worthless shits"

With that it was clear everything was back to… normal…

Never had Jimmy laughed and enjoyed himself so much from a beating like he did then. Never had Kevin felt so much pain physically and emotionally. Never had the ginger felt so much fear and anger all at the same time. Never before had he laid on the ground staring up at the setting sky and hated everything there was about it.

Nazz had become conscious about an hour after the J's had left and found Kevin lying next to her crying silently. She had freaked thinking he was seriously hurt before noticing that the tears spilling were from anger. The poor girl begun sobbing believing he had been mad at her for her stupid actions causing harm on both of them. Kevin reached out to Nazz enveloping her in his arms to comfort her

"I-I'm s-s-sorry" _hiccup_ "s-so sorry" the blond cried into her best friends shoulder gripping his jacket tightly.

"It's ok Nazz, I got you…I will _always_ be here for you" he whispered into her ear planting a kiss to her head.

…

* * *

 _ **Alright am not 100% happy with how this chapter came out but hope it gave you some feels nonetheless.**_

 _ **I'm excited to write this next chaper actually, and get in their weird summer experiences. XD**_

 _ **Kk you might be wondering w**_ _ **ho the fk is Sam? well you'll find out eventually lol**_

 _ **Thoughts? Predictions? Feelings?**_

 _ **Please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much and they actually give me motivation and inspiration to write.**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! :3**_

 _ **Hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	23. Chapter 23

It had been a struggle for the two friends to get back home with no ride to Kevin's home. Slowly but surely Kevin and Nazz walked all across town through the lonesome afternoon streets as they held on to each other for support. Kevin had to stop on several occasions from a coughing fit making it hard to breathe, and the movement of walking caused much pain in his right side of his torso and his lower back. The blood from his nose had dried and his left side of his face was covered with a huge black eye. Nazz was slightly better; she had a busted lip, scraped knees and elbows which were marked with bruises as well, and her hair in a puffy mess with blood and dirt.

Kevin thanked the heavens that his father was working late that day, if he hadn't the boy didn't know what he would do. Once they arrived to his home Kevin sat on the couch and placed his hat and their belongings on the coffee table as he waited for Nazz to put some water to boil before making their way up the stairs to his room. The ginger needed the girls help up the stairs due to the severe pain that surged through his back when he lifted his legs. In total they took about 15 minutes to walk up the stairs when Kevin had finally made it all the way up Nazz ran back down to turn off the stove and made them some tea. She grabbed a couple of ice packs Kevin's father Tom had stored in the freezer. He worked in construction you see, so she mentally thanked the poor old man for his storage of these and pain killers.

She gave Kevin the pain killers and tea to drink, taking some herself right after. Then helped the boy take off his shirt and placed an ice pack on his right shoulder and one on his bruised ribs. Only then did she see the true extend of all the torture the boy had been going through, the sight of the boy's mistreated torso made her tear up. As the ginger fell asleep she decided to get up. Nazz grabbed a shirt and sport shorts from the boy's closet then headed to the bathroom to look for the first aid to treat her scraped kneed and elbows. The crying girl washed the remaining makeup from her face before stepping into the shower. She had been in this bathroom may times before, usually due to sleepovers. Today however, the small spaced made her feel so confined, the cold water felt like needles shooting into her pale skin. She bent down hugging her knees tightly to her chest letting louds sobs escape her lips. The tragic memories hitting her like a brick. The year before the event had ended in cheerful joy just laughing hysterically among the three friends. This year it was all so different, it was all just so sad.

After a long shower and finally managed to gather the strength to dry herself and dress. Kevin's clothing fitting her slightly loose, but in reality the ginger wasn't much bigger from her only about two inches taller. She entered the silent room and saw Kevin's limp body still sound asleep. The girl took the boy's shoes off and covered his naked chest with a blanket then crawled on the bed lying next to her best friend.

Holding back a sob her small hand reached to caress the boy's cheeks lovingly. She had been so stupid. Just how was she supposed to take on Eddward and the J's? To win at their game, it was ridiculous, it was outrageous and idiotic. This had been her fault again; once again Kevin had endured so much pain protecting her. It wasn't how her idea had planned to go, she only wanted to free the boy, but because of her advancements he could now very well be in much more danger when the following school year began.

She leaned in close to Kevin placing a kiss to his cheek as a tear roll down then closed her eyes letting a shaky sigh out. Her Kevin was so strong the girl didn't know how he dealt with it all.

If both friends could completely agree on something it was that their hearts where filled with utter disappointment.

…

The following day Kevin's father had questioned them very concerned and completely bewildered at their injuries. The friends had come up with the excuse early in the morning that Nazz had been harassed by some street jerks while they were on the park and Kevin had ended up in a fight with them. The old man had been very silent looking directly at Kevin's eyes trying to detect any lies in them. However what the man didn't know was that Kevin had longed since developed the technique to calm his anxiety that bluntly straight up made all his lies believable. Well, it was partially true but the ginger had hoped that he's father wouldn't be so angered after hearing about his manly moment. To his favor his father had patted the boy's head "Thank you for being so brave son, you did well in protecting Nazz"

Kevin looked up at his father and smiled sheepishly. Rarely did he ever get such a praise that wasn't about how smart he was. It made the boy very happy knowing that his father didn't believe him to be such a wimp.

Mr. Barr had called the high school excusing both students from the day, before making them breakfast and leaving for work.

Kevin and Nazz had spent most of the day locked up in the boy's room watching movies since the ginger couldn't do many movements. Nazz had prepared them popcorn and lemonade as they watched the Harry Potter series back to back. It had been a very long time since they last had a sleep over and this day only proved how much both missed each other dearly. They laughed and flung popcorn at each other, though it pained the boy to do both.

"Kevin…" the girl spoke softly after a while.

The boy turned his head surprised at her sudden quietness "What's up?"

"There's something I need to tell you…it's about yesterday…" she looked away trying to gather her words correctly.

Kevin just listened quietly; there was nothing to talk about in his opinion, what happened happened. The last thing he wanted to be told was…well, I told you so…he just didn't want to think about it. It was painful.

"W-when I was eavesdropping on Jimmy and…you know who… um, they were talking about some party" the girl looked up at Kevin a bit nervously.

"And?" Kevin questioned quickly becoming tense and 'uninterested'.

"Well, they were planning something big…something dangerous"

"What do you mean dangerous?" the boy leaned closer trying to get the girl to spill the important information.

Nazz breathed in shakily "They were planning on gathering all of us in the robotics and quiz bowl club from peach creek and lemon brook…"

Kevin looked at her dumbfounded "and do what?"

"Well they didn't say but what do you think" the girl looked up at the boy, who in return turned away.

"When?"

"I don't know"

"We should let them know…" Kevin responded after a moment of pondering.

"I already did" she pointed to Kevin's phone on his bed stand "I sent a message to Ed this morning, he told me he'd let people know but I mean, I don't know if word will spread fast enough to reach the students in lemon brook"

Kevin ran a hand through his ginger locks tiredly "I hope so"

"There's nothing more we can do Kev" Nazz reach out to grab Kevin's hand.

He gave her a squeeze with his hand looking at her with a concerned expression. "right…"

About the fourth movie in to their day they had fallen fast asleep.

It wasn't until late in the afternoon Kevin had woken up from the movement. When he woken up he saw Nazz shaking his left shoulder slightly, he gingerly rose rubbing his eyes. "Hey Kev, your dad just called telling us to order in for dinner"

"Is he working late again?" Kevin yawned glancing at his window to see how late it was.

"No, he's just too tired to make dinner" the girl laughed.

Kevin stretched his arms and legs making a painful grunt as he did so "Alright then, want to order Chinese?"

"You know me so well!" Nazz beamed at the suggestion.

The rest of that day Nazz and the Barr men spent the evening playing board games in the living room and simply just catching up.

There was a nagging feeling that kept trying to push its way up to grab Kevin attention. Yet throughout the day the ginger forced it down and kept on smiling and focused on the people who actually cared for him.

It wasn't until late at night that the little ginger could no longer suppress it. Nazz laid sound asleep next to him, but he lay wide awake staring at the ceiling. Kevin tried to keep his sniffling silent so he wouldn't wake the girl as he let his angry tears run down his cheeks once again. He raised his hands to cover his eyes from sight no longer able to bear seeing the wall. His chest was extremely tight and hurt so much all he wanted to do was scream.

It was all so frustrating.

Kevin didn't want to think about… _him_

But the ginger's tears only proved the reality of what happened. This wasn't a dream, everything had happened. Kevin had provided the boy with companionship, and had displayed genuine concern for him. Yet _HE_ had decided to abandon all that. _HE_ preferred power over friendship… and it was _HE_ who had betrayed their newly found bond.

Kevin had believed that the two months they had spent the boy would have had a possible change in heart maybe not entirely but enough to had had helped him in that moment. He had hoped it would have been enough to have sparked something in him, Kevin trusted the raven haired teen to step out of his comfort zone.

Was he playing him this entire time? Did Kevin only serve the bully as a toy? Was this entire thing a lie!

It couldn't have been… no way

How the hell did Eddward know that little Kevin would have been running in that direction that afternoon at the bridge. How the hell did Eddward know Kevin would be looking for him after the swim meet.

 _WHY GOD DAMN IT!_

Why had Kevin been the one to find him at the bridge? Why was Kevin the one to find him in the locker rooms? Why was Kevin the one so willing persistent to stay at the boy's side after all that he had done?

 _WHY!_

Why did Eddward let him in? Why did Eddward care for him? Why did Eddward share any personal information with him!

 _Why did this happen…_

… _How did this happen…_

Where was Eddward?

…

* * *

 _ **Guys! thank you so much for you love and support from the last chapter it really means alot to have such lovely reviews and added your critiques on it. Truly helps me to get better and is very motivational. It lets me know you guys actually want more. So thank you very much!**_

 _ **I know this chapter is short, but i decided i neeedd to get this chapter in as a breather before we dive in for more strong feels in the next one.**_

 _ **muahaha did you guys notice i added someone special to the story?**_

 _ **hm? hmmmmmmm?**_

 _ **Thoughts? Predictions? Feelings?**_

 _ **Please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much (Like actually i squeal whenever i see a new review lol).**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and find out what happens at the party :3**_

 _ **Btw when i told you guys that this story was going to be long i mean it. It's going to be god knows how long, we are going to venture through their entire awkward bond to friendship and eventuallly yes... LOVE all while going through so much drama lol**_

 _ **With that i hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**And we continue...**_

* * *

Summer had officially began and Kevin and Nazz had been somewhat enjoying themselves for the past week. They had been too distressed for the first couple of days and refused to separate from one another. Their concerned minds brought them back to the party that was to be happening and none of them knew when or where. Nazz had gotten a new phone and had been in frequent communication with the quiz bowl leader Ed. He had informed her that word got out to lemon brook and that they had heard nothing about the party being set. It seemed that this was going to be something secret among the bullies. This put the teens in a nervous wreck just thinking that someone was most likely planning on a surprise assault. It could happen when ever, and that was simply terrifying.

On occasion Kevin would take his motorcycle out for a spin in the evenings riding at high speeds through lonesome highways. It was the only way he could breathe and let out his rage that built up throughout the day. He just didn't know what to do, Kevin was angry and concerned at the same time. Well, more angry but knowing that Eddward was...capable of hurting himself purposefully made him go crazy. No amount of anger could drown out the raising worry as days went by.

Sometimes he'd catch himself riding toward the bully's home in outer frustration only to turn back around irritated. Why should he go back to him? Eddward never displayed any mercy for him, he just turned around and walked away leaving the J's to have their wicked ways with him. Though should something happen to the bully would Kevin be able to live with the guilt? He honestly didn't know. Kevin just wasn't Eddward. He couldn't shut off all his emotions and play a role.

Some days the little ginger would wake up thinking everything had been some psychological illusion. That maybe he had so desperately wanted to erase all the physical abuse with a friendlier side to Eddward that he forced himself to believe it to be true. The problem was that he'd remember everything so vividly. The blood that stained his ripped white shirt that was pressed to the boys wrists. The angered tears falling down the boy's cheeks as he launched at him mistaking Kevin for god knows who. The warmth of security from the embrace as Kevin sobbed into his chest, and those slender fingers tracing his wounds as the raven haired cared for him.

Those piercing blue eyes...

How could any of that have been fake?

The entire week the friends spend time at each other's houses, usually more so at Kevin's because unfortunately Nazz lived a little too close to Eddward's neighborhood. The girl was to spend summer at her grandparents' home with in the following week. Kevin felt both happy and upset at her departure. On one hand the ginger could guarantee her safety at least for the entire summer. One the other hand what was he to do alone all summer break, sit around and contemplate Eddward's horrible actions?

On a Saturday evening Kevin and Nazz sat in the gingers back yard listening to their favorite mixes. They sat quietly eating pizza and playing card games waiting for the day to finally pass, counting it as another safe day. They had spent the day at Kevin's home and now wished to step and take in the fresh air. To be honest the friends were a bit too afraid to go anywhere out in town, and most of the time they would spend it indoors, or in the neighborhood. They kept careful ear about anything that could be possibly happening in town.

They lay down on the grass recalling their favorite childhood memories and making fun of each other for their embarrassing moments. Mr. Barr was friends with Kevin's Mother and Father since childhood and every once in a while would bring the children together to play. Although Kevin and Nazz didn't get to hang out as often when they were younger due to living in opposite sides of town and going to different school they remained good friends those little times they hanged out. Whether it was a birthday or a holiday the children were always there for each other. Nazz had had the opportunity to be able to make friends easily, she was a social butterfly. Kevin however wasn't necessarily as social, and only had Rolf as a close friend. It wasn't until freshman year that Kevin and Nazz became best friends with the unfortunate departure of their third friend during the second semester.

They laid holding hands. If you'd asked a student at peach creek if Kevin and Nazz were dating, they would guarantee they were in fact dating. However the two friends never seemed to share a romantic inclination towards each other, their bond was more of a brother and sister. They both weren't very popular in the dating scene and were always caught together holding hands or hugging and every once in a while Nazz would kiss Kevin on the cheek. Everyone thought it was a romantic gesture but they simply shared adoration for each other. They were precious to each other and they weren't ashamed to show it. They had made a pack last summer that if they never found romantic love with another than they would make it work and marry.

Kevin however knew for sure that Nazz would find someone who would love her in all aspects and certainly marry. He wasn't as certain about himself. Nazz was pretty and had the kindest heart in the world, he uh well…The ginger believed that his only attractive attribute were his eyes, well they were inherited from his mother after all. Besides that he was a failure to be what society called an eye-catching male. He was short, petite, annoying bright orange hair, awkward smile, heavily freckled, and no muscles what's so ever. Sure he had a pretty masculine attitude most of the time but that didn't outweigh his feminine body. It's was embarrassing quite honestly. One of the worst things about school, besides the bullies of course, had to be to change during P.E. in front of everyone. He hated it. His thoughts were disrupted from the front door unlocking as a rough voice called out to them.

"Kevin, Nazz! You've eaten dinner yet?" Kevin's father poked his head out the glass door.

"Yes Tom, we just ate pizza" Nazz rolled over onto her stomach and lifted up their paper plates.

"Great, hey guys I heard about the craziest thing today" the man motioned for them to come inside. Kevin and Nazz stood up picking up their plates and deck of cards as they followed inside.

"What is it dad?" Kevin asked throwing the plates away and grabbing some water.

"I've been working over by Lemon Brook since a couple of days and some guys from work drove last night by this insanely huge house and told us how there was a large amount of teenagers fighting amongst each other at a party and there were cops arresting some of them for underage drinking most likely and god knows what else." Mr. Barr explained as he took a seat at the kitchen table. "Kids these days are crazy, I mean I went to parties but they weren't as ridiculous as of now" the man chuckled "good thing you two aren't so rebellious or else what would I do with you both"

Nazz wide eyes were fixed on Kevin. Her fear building for the Lemon Brook kids. "I-I guess it would be hard on you Tom"

"Damn right it would be" Kevin's father mumbled as he scratched his beard.

Kevin felt his chest tight, something felt wrong in his gut. He felt so much fear and anxiety consuming him little by little. If he didn't do anything he wouldn't ever sleep soundly without knowing the answer to his questions. What if Eddward was arrested! What if something bad happened! Well of course it did, there was a fight! Over what? And had Eddward even attended this party?! Was he ok? God why did Kevin care for crying out loud, _fuck!_ He cursed himself irritated knowing he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life... _fuck fuck Fuck FUCK!_

"Nazz it's about time to get you home, I'll drop you off" he motioned for the girl to follow along on his skit.

The girl looked at him horrified before nodding slowly "right"

Kevin's father looked at them both confused "it's kinda late wouldn't you rather just spend that night Nazz?"

"Oh no I can't tonight mom told me to be back tonight by 10" Nazz looked over to Kevin before gasping as an idea popped into her head "m-maybe Kevin can spend the night over at my place, so he doesn't have to drive back so late"

"Yeah! That sounds safe" the ginger chimed out in agreement.

Mr. Barr nodded his head thinking "I suppose that's fine, if your parents are alright with it"

"Of course!" Nazz tangled her hands together nervously.

"Alright let's get going before it gets too late" Kevin grabbed onto the girls shoulders and pushed her along. They grabbed their jackets and Kevin ran up his bedroom to grab a backpack packed with extra clothing that he'd usually bring over to Nazz's place to make it more believable.

"Alright be safe you too" Kevin's father waved at them "Kevin, drive safely your responsible for both your and her life."

"Yeah dad I know" Kevin waved grabbing the blonds hand and dragging her to the door that lead to the garage and closed the door behind them.

He grabbed the spare helmet and handed it to Nazz, she also grabbed the backpack and pulled it on. "K-Kevin…"

Kevin grabbed his helmet and before putting it on answered the terrified girl "it's going to be alright" he smiled at her and pulled on his helmet. The girl followed placing hers on her head and helping Kevin by opening the garage door. Kevin pushed his precious motorcycle outside and climbed on waiting for Nazz to close the doors and climb on as well. He felt her wrap her arms around his waist tightly. The ginger then made the motorcycle come to life and secretly apologized to the neighborhood for the loud noise. Then they took off.

As he sped along the streets he could feel his anxiety overpowering his irritation at the bully. What exactly had happened at the party? He wished that the raven haired hadn't partaken in that horrendous scandal at the very least. Most of all, what had happened a week ago…? But nonetheless he needed to know if…if… god he desperately wished Eddward hadn't done anything harmful to his wellbeing. Kevin was such a fool for these situations; he couldn't blame Nazz for being mad at him after this. Tonight however Eddward Vincent was going to answer him once and for all.

Thankfully the streets had been completely deserted and they arrived at Nazz's home in the span of 20 mins. The girl leaned back but kept her hold on the ginger for a long moment before getting off the vehicle and taking her helmet off. She looked with tears building up in her eyes pleading Kevin not to go and head on inside with her. "Don't go" she stepped closer and held his hand "He's not worth it Kev… he's never going to change"

Kevin looked at her frowning "Maybe your right…I just…really need to go"

"N-no you don't, just turn your motorcycle off and come inside with me. You have every right to pay no attention to him, he's never done anything for you, and he certainly didn't seem to give a care last week." The girl held his hand tighter "Please just come inside with me"

The ginger sighed "that's just it…he _has_ done something for me…I wanna know what happened Nazz. It all seemed to be going just fine and then, that happened. What changed his mind, what has he been thinking this whole time…I-you don't understand the severity of the situation. H-he could be far w-worse than I am at the moment." He voice began to crack as he thought back to Eddward's suicidal attempts.

"And if he's not?" Nazz spoke out softly pitying the ginger's kind soul.

"…then I'll come back to you" Kevin smiled at her

Nazz gave the ginger one last tight squeeze before letting go and handing the backpack over to the boy. She took a step back holding onto the helmet in her arms. "Please contact me if anything happens"

"I will" the boy sadly tried to smile at the girl who only expressed a pained look in her eyes. "I'll be alright Nazz, don't worry"

"Pinky promise?" she held out her pinky for him to take.

Kevin chuckled at the childish gesture "Pinky promise" he shook the finger with his own before pulling on the backpack and riding off leaving a distressed Nazz behind.

Without the girl with him Kevin had no care about his limits and quickly went far past the speed limit speeding through streets and avoiding as many stop lights as possible. Within 6 minutes he was entering the quiet neighborhood where he saw the big home that was Eddward's.

The neighborhood was encompassed by complete silence only the night's sounds rose in harmony, the crickets, wind and distant vibrations from passing cars. The neighborhood street's lamps were the only source of light, no home had any lights on inside. It was like everyone was on a strict schedule, kinda weird. Kevin pulled onto the driveway of the eerie home that he was so familiar with. He took off his helmet wondering if the raven haired had heard him arrive.

The ginger nervously looked for any signs that the boy was inside, but saw nothing. Little Kevin stepped off and hanged his helmet and backpack on the vehicle. Taking slow steps towards the door the boy was beginning to regret his decision of coming. He wondered how Eddward was going to treat him when he saw him at his front door. Was he going to beat Kevin like he used to? Was he even home? _God remind me why I'm here again_ the boy thought to himself. No! This needed to happen now damn it. The ginger knocked confidently and waited… Nothing. He waited a couple more seconds before knocking again louder. This time Kevin heard quiet and slow stomping approaching the door.

The ginger could feel his heart beat get louder and it became harder to breathe every step he heard closer. Eventually Kevin heard the rustling of the door knob and before he knew it he was staring at blue eyes. Immediate relief washed through him before anger commenced to replace it followed by confusion as he then observed the other. The taller teen was covered in sweat, eyes were bloodshot, his olive skin appeared yellowish and covered in bruises and what made Kevin's mouth drop was that those raven locks that were usually protected by a certain black striped beanie were uncovered. They beautifully yet messily curled shaping his face perfectly and appeared longer in length than the ginger had seen with the hat on. Kevin noticed something small on his forehead, something that had divided his hairline; he couldn't tell very clearly in the darkness, it appeared to be… Eddward was about to slam the door close and in a panic Kevin pushed himself inside trapped between the door and door frame. "Wait!" the ginger gasped out.

Eddward glared at him, his face darkening by the second. "You fucking idiot…" he slurred out.

In a rage Kevin pushed the door off of him and stepped inside quickly "Well I'm sorry for giving a fuck about you, asshole!"

"What are you doing here _Minnow_ " Eddward spit the last word venomously causing Kevin to shrink just a tad bit from all the bad memories tied to that nickname.

It had been a long while since the raven haired had called him that, but the little ginger persevered to take his stance "Unlike YOU I haven't been able to enjoy my day peacefully for the past week because I keep fucking thinking about if you're ok! Why?! I'm the victim yet here I am!" Kevin breathed quickly from his anger.

"NO ONE ASKED YOU TO COME!" Eddward slammed the door shut and grabbed Kevin by his shirts collar smashing the ginger against the door. "I don't want to hear you, I don't want to talk to you, I don't even want to _look_ at you, and I don't want to be your fucking friend, LEAVE"

Kevin growled back grabbing the raven haired wife beater and tugged hard on it pulling the other closer to him. "Well you fucking better, because I'm not going anywhere until you answer me! You owe me that much"

Eddward snarled irritated raising his fist and in a blink of an eye punched the door close to Kevin face making the ginger flinch and close his eyes on instinct "I don't have to answer to anyone" he growled out.

Opening his eyes once again Kevin's face contorted in- his nostrils flaring, his eyes flashing, his mouth formed into a deep frown quivering and spewed onto the bully like a volcano releasing its pent up emotions into the darkness. His fists had closed into fist and with a right uppercut landed his punch to Eddward's chin making him stumble back a bit. "YES YOU DO YOU OWE ME A HELL OF A LOT ACTUALLY!"

The raven haired teen looked back at the ginger chuckling "I bet you were just fucking dying to do that huh?" His face darkened completely angered grabbing the ginger and lifting him easily by his shirt he once again slammed him on the wall much harder this time banging the ginger's head against it "Don't you EVER do it again" he let the ginger drop harshly onto the floor and took a step back "I won't say it again, leave"

"No" Kevin stood up, his head hurt like hell but he wasn't about to let the other know. It was then that he noticed something. There was red dripping from the bully's arms; loose bandages clung to his arms and the red slowing staining through them. "Oh my god…" the ginger breathed out his eyes going wide in terror.

Eddward had done it again.

The teen rushed to the bully's side trying to look at the wounds closer but the hand was ripped away from the other who only glared at him. "It's none of your concern"

Kevin simply puffed out annoyed and reached to grab the hand again this time holding tightly so when the other tried to pull away and instead pulled the ginger along. "Let me see" he glared up at the teen.

The other highly annoyed gave another shove sending the smaller teen stumbling forward "Stop it" he demanded.

Kevin trembling fingers tried to undo the bandages slowly "stop being so stubborn and let me help"

Eddward waited a moment waiting for the boy to lower his guard and when he felt the boys grip become loose he pulled away hard making the other jump in surprise. "Just go and let me be"

Kevin could hear the Eddward's voice strained in pain. The ginger knew this boy needed help and he couldn't deny it, it simply was in his nature. It was the right thing to do, though he knew he was entirely in his right to step away from him. Kevin was allowed to turn his back on the boy, why should he help? "Unlike you, I'm not the type of person to leave someone in need"

"I'm not in need…"

"Yes you are"

"No I'm not"

"You are"

"I'm not"

"Yes you are Eddward, why the hell do you think I'm here. Why the hell did this whole thing even start" Kevin spat out irritated at the taller teens childlike attitude.

"Nothing started Barr" Eddward pulled at the bandages trying to retie them.

"That's bullshit" the ginger stepped closer tugging at the arm again "Don't you remember what you said to me?" Kevin looked up frowning staring at the bloodshot eyes "When I asked you why you helped me, you returned the question back to me" the ginger sighed finally taking off the bandages from the right arm seeing the freshly reopened wound bleeding slightly still. His fingers traced the other newly formed scars all over the arm. There were so many compared to what he used to have Kevin's heart tightened at the sight, but he wasn't going to cry even though he really wanted to. He felt partially responsible for the sight. "I-I started thinking why on earth I stayed… I just couldn't ever erase the image of you about to jump and just sitting on the wet floor bleeding out. How…Just what happened to make you believe your life is so worthless?" he looked up staring at Eddward whose eyes now seemed to be glazed with a tear wanting to escape. "Why are you so afraid Eddward?"

"I-I'M NOT AFRAID" Eddward ripped his hand once again turning away and covering his ears.

Kevin just frowned at the boy and stepped closer placing a hand on the others shoulder in comfort. Eddward then shoved it off and walked away in a rush. "Wait!" the tiny teen rushed after the raven teen opened a door and disappeared behind it. Kevin opened it and realized it was the door leading to the garage. Inside was extremely dark, only whatever light made it way in from the moon illuminated the room. He stepped inside a strong scent of cigarettes invading his nose as he did so. Kevin left the door open for better lighting, he tried to find the switch but found none so be stepped down a small set of stairs and faintly saw the figure of Eddward's car. Squinting he could tell the garage could hold two cars inside.

"Eddward?" he made his way through the darkness as he tripped through what seem to be cans and bottles. Which was very odd to the boy, the raven haired was typically a very neat person at least from what he had observed. But based from the state he found Eddward in it made sense. As he maneuvered around he could heard heavy breathing "Hey talk to me" the ginger tried again looking around squinting to find a figure. Kevin bumped into something leathery and smooth, the sounds of chains ringed through the room as the objected moved. He placed a freckled hand to the object and immediately identified it as a punching bag, _So that's why he was covered in sweat_ the ginger thought to himself. He looked around his eyes finally adjusting to the darkness and saw a body standing at the corner of the room. Kevin stepped closer "…you need to talk to me"

The ginger tried to reach out and offer his comfort but the raven haired pushed him away. "Go away" the other slurred out.

"No I won't" Kevin persisted trying to draw the other in to look at him but Eddward was being stubborn and fought back.

"GO AWAY!" the raven haired boy yelled out shoving the ginger harder this time "I DON'T WANT YOU HERE, GO AWAY"

Kevin's heart was breaking in all honesty the sight before him it was absolutely hard to watch, and he didn't know what to do. All he knew was that he couldn't leave "I won't…" he softly responded.

"WHY!" Eddward grabbed Kevin by his shoulders pushing back until he bumped into the punching bag "AFTER EVERYTHING I FUCKING DID TO YOU! I THREATENED YOU, I PHYSICALLY BEAT YOU, AND I BETRAYED YOUR TRUST! WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE?!"

"I've told you already I'm not going to leave. I'm not like everyone else in your life! Why did _you_ have to go and leave _me_ behind like that!" Kevin shouted out.

Eddward just breathed heavily hesitating on his answer; he didn't know how to respond. He knew the ginger was right he was afraid but he wasn't about to admit that. Oh no, Eddward Vincent wasn't afraid of anything or anyone. The only problem was that it was a lie.

"Why do you do these harmful things to yourself? Why do you act this way? Why do you insist on pushing me away?" "Why did you tell me about Blaine?" Kevin pleaded to have his questions answered. "Just answer me…"

The other boy lowered his head down, his grip on the gingers shoulders tightening. Silent tears were now dripping onto the floor. Kevin saw the small figure on his head so clearly… he reached up to touch making the raven haired boy flinch but stayed still. It was a scar. It ran partially from the upper half of his forehead to the scalp where no hair grew, it was tender and its form quite elegant… when had this happened? Did he wear the beanie around to cover it? Why? It wasn't anything big to be embarrassed about. "What are you afraid of?" Kevin gulped hoping the teen wouldn't lash out.

"…solitude…"

Kevin heard the whisper so low "What-"

"…abandonment…rejection…vulnerability…you" the raven haired murmured as he leaned his head against the ginger's shoulder and wrapped his arms around the other waist. His weight brought them down to the floor.

 _Me?_ Kevin questioned in his mind _must be his intoxicated high talking, big bad Eddward can't be afraid of me…_ Kevin slid his hands slowly making their way up the other's shoulders encompassing him in a tight embrace. He wasn't sure of what to do, or how to respond. The ginger thoughts lingered on the others response, solitude, abandonment, rejection and vulnerability… he thought he must be something much deeper to these words something he may never get out of the teen, but for the mean time they just stayed hugged in the darkness.

Eddward held the ginger tightly in his arms as if his life depended on it. His face completely submerged into the boy's shoulder silently sobbing. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…sorry…sorry…"

Kevin just let the boy continue to mumble his apologies until he calmed down. "You can't keep doing this Eddward…" the ginger softly spoke out "…you can't keep lashing out, hurting yourself and getting wasted…if you want me to stay you're going to have to give me your word"

"I can't…" Eddward quietly mumbled out.

"And why can't you?" the ginger could feel Eddward's hand tremble in their grasp.

"I'll probably do it again…"

"Do what?"

"…Disappoint you…"

"Do you want me to stay?" Kevin asked holding onto the boy firmer.

Eddward didn't answer verbally but simply held on tighter as well, sinking his body closer to the gingers. It was true what people said the drunk were honest. He felt some relief at the response from the teen. "Then can you answer some of my questions?"

"…morrow…" the other mumbled out tiredly.

"You better" both boys stayed embraced for a long period of time thinking to themselves. Kevin wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, but at the moment it seemed right. He just hoped Eddward wouldn't wake up tomorrow in a bad mood from a hangover or backed out. "Come on let's get you to bed" he tried to lift the other's body up.

Kevin took a hold of the raven boy's hand and led him up to the bedroom. The teen was extremely silent all the way up, his gaze never meeting Kevin's. Eddward sat down in his bed and noticed Kevin rush out of the room. He began to slightly hyperventilate fearing the ginger had run away but not a minute later the tiny teen reentered the room with a first aid kit. Kevin lowered onto his knees and pulled on the unbandage arm and began to clean the open wound, memories of the last time he had done this returning back to him. When finished he wrapped new bandaged around and moved onto the other arm to do the same.

Eddward never said anything but simply observed the ginger. He came to note that although the teen had relatively a composed facial expression his trembling freckled hands said otherwise.

Kevin stood up closing the kit "well, goodnight I suppose" he awkwardly looked down at the arms he had just treated. Before Kevin could take a step towards the door he felt a firm hand grip his and turned surprised.

"Stay…please" Eddward pleaded down staring at their hands.

Kevin stared back for a moment before setting the kit down on the floor and sitting next the other. With their intertwined hands they simply sat in silence looking on to nothing but both thinking deeply about what was to be expected or what had happened between them.

Before Kevin knew it the other had had fallen asleep his body slouching onto the ginger. "…you drunk idiot…" Kevin said observing all the bruises on the teen's body; it had looked like the boy had indeed attended the party for which Kevin frowned at. But he would find out the answer tomorrow for sure. The ginger laid down the limp body on the bed and tried to get out of the grasp but found that Eddward had a tightly hold on him even sound asleep. It reminded him of the night he had stayed up here for the first time in a similar situation. He moved back up against the headboard pulling his knees in to his chest quietly observing the sleeping Eddward, as the fingers from his free hand moved along the scar once again. "Just what happened to you?" the boy whispered out.

…

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading this chapter am sorry it took me a bit to finish writting. Hope you enjoyed it!**_

 _ _ **Please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much!**_ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's get some answers for crying out loud!**_

 _ **With that i hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Sorry i took a while with this chapter, had a bit of writer's block hehe**_

 _ **Anyways on to the feels**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

It all started with his conscious mind coming into focus with the faint sounds of cars driving away, the chirping birds and a source of light breathing. Then a strong pain surged through his brain, a pain that ran from the teen feet to his brain twisting and turning his stomach making him become nauseous. At this he tried to open his eyes to finally wake up, but had a difficulty with the task realizing that the sunlight burned him painfully so. Turning his head away from the window he felt something warm shift. The source enveloped his hand gently, and he felt a pressure on his abdomen. Slowly opening his eyes, the boy groaned from the terrible headache and wished the birds would shut up. His throat was excessively dry causing him to be awfully thirsty for water.

Gaining his composure a bit and pushing away the nauseous feeling Eddward looked down finding a bright head of orange hair. Kevin was fast asleep on top of him, his head lying on Eddward's chest while their hands continued to gently intertwine with one another. The swimmer laid his head back down on the pillow looking up, his eyes felt swollen. A huge feeling of dread ran through him as he stared at the wall, his hand however gingerly tightened its grip on the freckled one. What was he to do now? He groaned quietly again annoyed from the headache that wouldn't let him think properly. He needed water, and some aspirin. The teen looked towards his bed stand praying he would find something but found nothing.

The raven haired wanted to get up but at the same time felt guilty pushing the ginger off when he was sleeping so soundly. He raised a hand and ran his fingers through his hair trying to calm down the headache that felt like it was tearing his head in half. Sudden awareness came when he realized he didn't have his beanie on and his body froze. The swimmers long fingers traced the scar slowly pondering the question if the ginger had seen it... No one had ever seen it before...well, except for his past two "friends". The ginger was sure to ask about it, but he didn't want him to know. Kevin knowing would make everything so much more problematic for him. He was to keep his scar a secret until he was considered an adult, only then would he be comfortable to roam free without the disguise. If he lived that long he supposed, maybe just maybe… two years wasn't necessarily such a long time.

Eddward felt the ginger move and thought he had finally woken up. When he looked down he saw the boy had only changed sides and was now facing his direction. The boy's small freckled hands held his wife beater, and his open lips ugh...were drooling. If it wasn't for the fact that they were in the same grade Eddward could have sworn that this boy was twelve. Lowering his hand he grabbed the edge of his sweatshirt and used it to quietly wipe it. He sighed heavily cursing his headache once again. The swimmer wanted to get up and at the same time wanted to keep the sleeping ginger where he was. What was he to do when the smaller teen woke up? The slightly blurred memories made him feel nauseas all over again.

For the past week the raven haired had been cooped up in his house only going out when necessary or for a run at 6 in the morning or late at night. Summer was never fun for him, it bored the hell out of Eddward and the only way he'd ever find some sort of enjoyment was to get the hell out of town to his mother's cabin up in the mountains about one hour away from Peach Creek. He so wanted to be up there at this moment. The only reason he hadn't gone straight there this summer was for Sam's senseless party. It would have been better if he hadn't attended in all honesty, what he had witnessed there was absolutely horrendous. Just the idea of what little Kevin would think of him if he ever found out make his stomach turn.

Not able to suppress his nausea Eddward released the gingers hand and gently lifted his head placing it on the bed as quietly as possible as not to disturbed the boy's asleep. He silently made his way out of the room before making a run for the bathroom and letting the contents of his stomach come back out. It was disgusting, his mouth tasted vile and his headache only more painful with the fast movement. Hearing a small chuckle at the door the swimmer groaned out.

"That's why you shouldn't drink excessively" the chuckling voice spoke from behind him

Eddward coughed a bit still feeling nauseous "...fuck you" he mumbled out flushing the digesting contents away. He lowered the toilet seat and laid his head in his arms whining a bit.

Kevin chuckled a bit at the response "well good morning to you too" The boy lowered down to kneel besides the swimmer and gave him a simple pat on his back "it's good for you I'm here I know exactly how to treat a hangover" Eddward peeked an annoyed looked towards the ginger questioning him "my dad gets drunk with his coworkers every so often" he responded.

Seeing the raven haired hide his face again Kevin stood "you might want to rinse your mouth, I'll go get you a glass of water"

Eddward peeked out again seeing the small ginger walk out of the room. He lifted his head staring at the now empty hallway feeling...ugh fucking headache made everything so irritating at the moment. He stood up and rinsed his mouth, it was all so revolting he made sure to brush and when finished took the bottle of aspirin in hand. Pain killers where his best friend at times like these. He made his way back out and found Kevin with the glass in hand and sending a quick text to who knows.

Kevin handed the glass over to the taller teen and shrugged a bit "it was, um, Nazz" he saw the other avoid his glance and instead popped two pills and washed them down with the glass of water.

Eddward made his way back to the bedroom to change, and turned back when hearing Kevin head back down stairs. Entering the room he chose to take out a sweatshirt and a pair of sweats cause for some damned reason his entire house was cursed to forever be cold even during summer. He laid back down on the bed curling in on himself from the pain, he hated absolutely everything at the moment and it was all so frustrating. He hadn't known when he had fallen asleep once again.

The sleeping teen could feel smooth fingers tickle his skin, the sensation brought warmth to his cold body. At first it was quite soothing and he leaned into the touch but the more he concentrated on the touch the more odd it felt. The unsteady fingers were quite nervous and now concerned him. Who was touching him? He groaned out and opened his eyes slightly turning towards to person the hand belonged to. "What do you think you're doing?" He gave the ginger an aggravated glare.

Kevin rapidly sat up straight surprised the swimmer had awakened "I-I um...I was trying to um…" he sheepishly held up Eddward's beanie in his hand "I thought you weren't aware that you weren't wearing it and might freak"

"I'm aware" Eddward groaned out closing his eyes once again, realizing his headache had decreased significantly.

"Oh..." Kevin slouched looking confused now "so um, is that the...um reason you wear your hat all the time?"

"Mmhm"

Kevin pulled his knees to his chest "how did you get it if I may ask?"

Eddward sighed expecting the question "Not your business"

"Fine..." Kevin leaned back on the headboard of the bed "but you promised me you answer me today remember?"

"Indeed but the deal had nothing to do with my scar" the swimmer bit back.

"Well yeah I know..." Kevin said awkwardly not really sure where to start his interrogation. "So um, did you go?"

"Go where?" The taller teen asked irritated with Kevin's nonspecific questions

Kevin rubbed at his jeans a bit nervous "You know the party?"

Eddward rolled his eyes "What do you think genius?" He asked frustrated as if it wasn't obvious for the ginger.

"Hey, I'm asking nicely you asshole" Kevin crossed his arms angered by the gingers attitude.

Eddward opened his eyes slightly staring at the wall on the other side of the room for a moment remembering the events from the party before closing them again "I did"

At this Kevin turned towards Eddward and observed the teen's defensive pose "...was there a fight?" He asked.

"Yes"

Kevin was a bit hesitant. He was afraid of the answer but asked anyway "why?"

There was a long silence shared between them only the sounds of chirping birds coming from outside. The raven haired tried to come up with a way to answer the ginger without giving away too much information. The silence was killing little Kevin he wanted to know what had happened at the event, why had a fight broke out, and if the lemon brook kids were safe, but at the same time he was scared of the answer, was it really that bad that the teen had gone into silence. Finally Eddward spoke out "I'm sure you're going to hear about it from your quiz bowl leader...the fight started because he showed up"

"Ed? What was he doing there? Nazz warned him..." The ginger trailed off thinking.

"Why don't you ask him..." Eddward shifted a bit further from the other.

"Where there any Lemon Brook kids?" Kevin quickly asked

"Not sure, I wasn't there for too long, if there were they must have ran away the moment the fight broke out" he halfheartedly lied; quite honestly he wanted to spare the ginger the details. That and a little part of Eddward didn't want the boy to leave so soon angrily at him again.

"Hm..." Kevin sighed leaning back "why did you go? I thought things like that weren't your thing." He pondered looking up at the ceiling, _why did he get involved in the fight? He could have just walked away when hell broke loose..._

"I was obligated" the swimmer responded

Kevin quickly turned to look at the boy beneath him completely surprised "Obligated! By who?"

Eddward turned and grabbed Kevin's cheeks with a hand squeezing them a bit then shook him gently "Someone _far_ scarier than me minnow" he said comically.

The ginger swatted the hand away laughing uneasily a bit "Don't call me that"

" _Minnow_ " Eddward said again

"Seriously...I hate it" Kevin reached to scratch the back of his head awkwardly looking down uncomfortable. Why had Eddward started calling him that again, was it to intimidate him? Belittle him? Either way the name wasn't cute at all, he hated it. "And you're not that scary" he added quickly.

At this the raven haired quirked an eyebrow surprised at the gingers response. Somehow the comment lifted his spirits a tad bit.

Seeing the other become silently once again the ginger began thinking of what else would be appropriate to ask "Um..." Kevin wondered a moment before sighing uncomfortably catching the others attention. Their eyes focused on one another, one observing, and the other anxious. "...what happened?" Kevin let a breath out.

Eddward continued to stare a bit confused about the question but could tell what the ginger was implying. "You need to be specific Barr" he challenged the boy. He knew what Kevin was asking but he wanted to hear him say it.

"I mean what happened last week?"

Eddward shut his eyes slowly enclosing in on himself. Now he regretted having heard the words spoken out, they brought a painful sting to his ears. Kevin's words were like acid melting into his head destroying him little by little. It was painful to even breathe; his lungs didn't seem to be able to expand fully. "Something you wouldn't be able to comprehend..." He finally was able to manage something out.

Kevin pulled his knees closer to his chest staring down at the raven haired boy. He seemed so exposed and passive, nothing like the Eddward he had known. Just what made him act the way he did? Kevin sighed turning his head away looking out the window "Maybe, but that doesn't mean I don't want to understand" the boy rubbed at his ripped up old jeans "Does it have to do with your...um with what happened last night?"

Eddward was never so thankful in his entire life than in the moment, he thanked the heavens he was turned away from the ginger so the boy couldn't see his scarlet face. Never in his entire life had someone seen him in that state... But Kevin fucking Barr had decided to come in the most unconventional time of all, Eddward had been drunk off his ass and consumed in his depression. He took slow breaths to calm down his embarrassment as he massaged his forehead not sure how to respond. In all honesty he didn't want to answer, because for starters he didn't even understand what had happened the previous night himself. Last night's events were kind of a blur to him, only remembering the strong feelings of his emotions vomiting out onto the open and the gingers expressive gentle olive eyes. He remembered bits and pieces of their conversation, but that was it. "...possibly..." he answered truthfully turning away from the ginger once again.

Kevin frowned at the boy. He bent down placing a hand to the others shoulder and leaned in closer making sure he could see the others face. The ginger could see some hints of flushed skin that resonated among the olive skin. Eddward's eyes were rather wide with bewilderment at the smaller teen's actions, before they became glazed with curiosity. Kevin held his stare for a moment to those crystal ocean orbs finding it a bit difficult to rip his attention away. "...it's not ok..." At the gingers words Eddward curiosity became confusion but he stayed still waiting patiently for the boy to continue. "...it's not ok to...to act the way you did" Kevin lowered his eye sight to his freckled hand on the others arm "you can't keep doing that, it's not healthy...it's not ok"

The swimmer followed the gingers gaze to his small hand. He could feel it trembling softly against his arm "Why do you care so much?" He asked observing the chewed nails that made the smaller boys nervous habit obvious.

Kevin let out a low chuckle "haven't I answered that enough times?" He moved his stare back to Eddward's cyan eyes. They seemed to be going through a series of emotions that Kevin could hardly read, but at least it reassured the ginger that the taller teen was seriously thinking. "How can I not care Eddward? I'd have to be some cold hearted bastard to ignore this..." He ran his freckled fingers down the swimmers arm making his way to lightly trace the bandaged arm.

Kevin could have sworn he had heard the slightest bit of a muffled sob escape the raven haired boy's lips but when he turned his attention back up Eddward had no trace of it on his expression. "Even after...what happened..." The ginger mumbled out frowning at the memory.

Eddward folded his hand into a fist, and Kevin could feel the tension in the arm. The smaller teen stayed silent waiting for a response from the other, was he angry? "I don't...you shouldn't be here..." The swimmer finally spoke.

"Why not?" Kevin asked a bit taken aback.

Eddward turned towards Kevin fully and lifted his arm up. His hands so close to the gingers neck, but never touched his skin. Kevin held his breath as he began to feel a sense of panic run through him, his palms began to become sweaty, and his eyes went wide. "Look what I've done to you" Kevin stared back in confusion, and that's when he felt it. Eddward's slender finger tips gently touched his freckled neck, and as tender as it felt he couldn't overpower the fear that enveloped him completely from the small contact. Kevin pushed the swimmers hand away immediately breathing heavily, his own hands shaking. "...I noticed when we were in the locker rooms after Jim attack you"

Kevin still breathing heavily was confused "w-what are you talking about?" He asked his shaking hands still gripping the raven haired teens.

"You're afraid of me..." Eddward stared at the trembling ginger in front of him. "...and now there's no..." He trailed off slipping his hand away and he ran his fingers through his raven locks.

Kevin let a tear escape unsure of how he was feeling "What. There's no trust? Is that what you were going to say?" Kevin's freckled hands tightly held onto the raven haired teen's sweatshirt. "Did you expect me to immediately trust you after the bullshit you pull on me last week? Did you expect me to NOT be afraid?" The ginger raised his voice a bit his anger finally showed through.

Eddward lowered his gaze down once again focused on the gingers trembling hands, though he knew the reason they now shook wasn't from nerves but from anger.

Kevin sighed closing his eyes a moment to calm down "Look, I want to help you. I really really do...but I have to make this clear. I will _not_ tolerate another act like that again" he looked down at the swimmer sternly so the other knew he was being serious.

Eddward returned his stern look but made sure not to be intimating "I can't promise you anything..."

"Then I hope you think carefully before you act" Kevin let go of the swimmers sweatshirt and sat back down at the edge of the bed turning away from Eddward.

It was then that Eddward noticed the ginger had on a change of clothes; he was wearing a different pair of jeans and shirt. Though the swimmer didn't know if it might have been the more fitting outfit or his angle from lying down but he swore Kevin had grown a bit. His shoulder seemed a tad bit broader, and his overall form wasn't as scrawny as he had seen him at the beginning of their sophomore year. It might have been the beatings, or it might have been their most recent event but somehow the ginger seemed to have toughened. His figure was that of a man, not a child. It was a peculiar moment for Eddward; it was as if he was looking onto the future of a matured Kevin. He closed his eyes guilt consuming him as he realized _he_ had been a huge part in ripping away so much of that innocence little Kevin once harbored. If it wasn't for him maybe Kevin might have been able to grow big and healthy. Maybe his mind might have been only stressed about his college choice, and future robotic competitions. The swimmer closed his eyes feeling a headache come again.

...

The raven haired was then back in that isolated room he knew so well, the singular lamp the only thing illuminating the room, the ceiling was leaking leaving a puddle of water formed the lamp. He looked around finding it odd he didn't hear _them._ He circled the room tracing his hand through cracks on the walls making sure not to step on the puddle.

" _Look look"_

He finally heard them whisper behind the cracks. " _Look...Look!"_

Eddward turned his attention back to the puddle and the lamp, and saw something moving within the ripples of the water. He stepped closer careful not to get too close and could now see two boys chanting something, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. One of the boys was fairly short with a grumpy face the other excessively tall one simply repeated the shorter boys words. Eddward recognized them immediately.

 _"Double D..."_

Eddward turned his head toward the direction opposite the room that the voice had spoken. He hadn't heard that name in a long time and most certainly never expected to be called by that name once again.

" _Double D! Double D! DOUBLE D! DOUBLE D!DOUBLE D DOUBLE D DOUBLE D DOUBLE D!DOUBLEDDOUBLEDDOUBLEDDOUBLED"_

"STOOOP!" Eddward shouted with all the capacity his lung power could with stand.

There was complete silence for a good moment as Eddward looked around again searching for those damned voices. Then he heard chuckling behind him and he turned.

 _"Look Look"_ they directed once again and the swimmer turned his attention back to the puddle where he now saw a ginger boy...Kevin.

In this scene Kevin was perfectly content and enveloped in the sun's striking rays. The ginger was laughing wholeheartedly before there was a ripple and a purple spot appeared on his cheek. Kevin smile began to fade as more bruises appeared on his body. With every ripple the boy let out a sob as his lips and nose dripped blood, the sun now clouded. "s…stop" Eddward stared horrified at the beaten ginger. Kevin began to cough up blood his head seemed heavily injured his body enveloped in cuts. The poor boy was sobbing at this point begging Eddward to end his misery. It was hard to watch…Eddward felt his throat clog and his eyes become wet with tears form his guilt. This wasn't real, this couldn't be real… "STOP IT!" he yelled out begging the voices to end the scene.

" _No no…you…end it Eddward"_

This was a fucking game to them; Eddward had had enough watching the scene continue. He was done watching Kevin get worse and worse, he was done hearing the gingers screams and pleads, he was done being in this hell.

The swimmer went down on his knees splashing the puddle hoping that would end the scene. In the sudden rush of his movements the lamp collapse and whole room went dark and silent.

Eddward woke up with a gasp as if he was taking a breath from being under water for too long and sat up quickly grabbing at his sweaty sweatshirt. His damp hair stuck to his face, his throat felt dreadfully dry and his hand was shaking uncontrollably.

"Eddward"

The raven haired turned his wide eyes to the source of the voice and jumped when he saw the little ginger stare back at him confused and highly alarmed. Eddward began to breath normally again but his wide eyes never left Kevin's. "Hey, it was just a nightmare…everything's fine" Kevin reached a comforting hand out to hold the swimmers hand. Kevin could feel the swimmers shaking hand in his and held it tighter, wanting to reassure the other that he was back in reality.

Eddward ripped his hand away and held his raven locks painfully tight as he protectively pressed his legs close to his chest. The clear horrendous image of Kevin in his dream was sure to haunt him the rest of his life. It just…it wasn't true…it wasn't real…he tried so hard to remind himself that but he had not seen how badly the J's had left Kevin and the thought that they could have done much worse was terrifying to the raven haired. "Fuck…" he mumbled out.

Kevin sat next to Eddward and enveloped him in a tight hug, much like Eddward had done for him after Jimmy's attack. It had helped the ginger then, so maybe it might help the teen now. There truly wasn't anything Kevin could say to calm the boy down. He didn't know what horrors troubled the swimmer in his mind, nor did he know what disturbed the boy so much to cause him to tremble as he did now. So Kevin stayed still, holding his former bully much like the previous night and patiently waited for the other to calm down. Eddward had leaned into the ginger taking in his warmth as a way to revoke his dream, to let himself know that the real Kevin was fine. However if he continued to be the way he was…he knew that there was the possibility that Kevin might end up like the one in his dream….

That afternoon Eddward Vincent genuinely prayed for the first time in a long time.

.

.

.

.

.

Keep him safe

…

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading this chapter! I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who reviewed on the last chapter! THANK YOU SO MUCH for your positive feedback, love and support! I deeply appreciate every one of you who took the time in letting me know how much you're enjoying my story. It's a pleasure to know people actually love AWA as much I enjoy writting it. So once again Thank you lovely's, I send each and every one of you much love.**_

 _ _ **So with that please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's see what happends next!**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	26. Chapter 26

By the second week into summer Kevin's bruises had all but gone leaving a happy ginger looking at himself in the full body mirror. He no longer needed to wear his jackets and oversized sweaters and shirts to hide. The boy was free to wear short sleeved T-shirts and shorts, because the dreadful summer in peach creek were always so freaking hot that literally someone was able to cook an egg on the pavement outside. Kevin was more than glad that his wounds were finally gone, because it was nearing July and he was beginning to suffocate in the intense heat form this year.

The boy was over at Nazz's place helping her pack because she was to depart the next day to her grandparents. The friend's chit chatted about absolutely anything and everything they would do this summer, and well avoiding the topic of anything related to the raven haired. Nazz didn't want to talk about it, she was mad and upset, and she believed that her best friend was simply looking for a one way ticket to heaven. As good hearted as Kevin was, the bully had gone far beyond betraying his trust and in no universe did he deserve it again. However Kevin was Kevin after all and it boggled the blond girl endlessly pondering why Kevin had chosen to go back, it was like he was searching for a needle in a haystack. The small teen wouldn't get into detail about what had happened the night he had gone over, and only told her ambiguous things.

The girl understood and gave her friend his space, but never again would she trust that betraying bastard. She knew Eddward for far too long to know he would never change for absolutely anything in the world. That just the way it was, and Kevin needed to understand that. She remembered the rumors that spread the summer after middle school about how the Kanker sisters had moved away to protect Marie from Eddward. If the bully's ex couldn't stand the teen's abusive character how was Kevin expected to? Nazz sighed sadly looking over at Kevin across the room as she folded a dress.

"Kevin" she announced suddenly catching the other's attention "I-If anything at all happens I want you to run away as far as you can...I want to see my best friends alive, healthy and happy when I get back."

Kevin chuckled at the statement but then coughed awkwardly seeing she was being dead serious "uh...you really don't have to worry so much about me Nazz, I'll be fine"

The girl sighed rubbing at her arms "that's what you said the first time and look where it got you"

The boy took a seat on the bed and looked up at his best friends somberly "I know... But don't think I'm going back like a blind idiot" he took the girls hand in his a squeezed them a bit "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me...right?"

She made a small whimper in the back of her throat "Just be careful, I know I keep telling you the same thing over and over but I don't know what else to do to get you out of this..." The Nazz sat down next to Kevin.

"You don't have to save me from anything" the ginger smiled up at her "If I were to be the most honest I've ever been with you it would be right now, and I can promise you that I'm doing this willingly for some circumstances you might not understand now. But I know you would do the same if you knew..."

"...I'm not so sure about that Kev" she ripped her eyes away from the book and stared at their intertwined hands.

"I think I've known you long enough to be certain you would" the boy gave her a soft smile.

Nazz returned his smile, but instead she was feeling disgusted with herself because she knew she wouldn't do the same. No matter what Eddward was going through, none of it justified his horrendous actions. "I suppose"

With that Kevin leaned in to envelope her in a tight hug to comfort the girl. She wrapped her arms around him slightly shakily as a feeling of guilt and regret began to sink to her stomach, she could sense something bad was going to happen and there was nothing in the world that she could do to stop it. After a short moment the ginger pulled the girl away at arm's length "Let's go downstairs to grab something to eat" he smiled brightly.

"Yeah let's" she agreed

Kevin stayed over with Nazz that night; they slept in the same bed holding hands just like they had done the night of the incident with the bullies. Nazz was terrified for Kevin, how was she supposed to trust Kevin and his instinct once again, honestly she would be stupid to leave this town without making sure the ginger was taken care of in some way. So she quietly slipped her hands away from the freckled one and sat up reaching over to her nightstand where her phone was placed. She scrolled through her phone reading each name in here mind as they passed. Once she finally reached down to the one she was looking for she quickly typed up a message.

[Hey Ed, sorry I know it's late. I don't expect you to read this until morning but I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor?...] the blond girl looked back at the peacefully sleeping ginger then turned back around and sent the message before typing the rest. [Look long story short I'll be going away for the summer and I need someone to keep an eye out for Kevin. I'm scared _**he**_ is going to do something terrible to him...please?] She looked it over nervously and sent it.

The girl stayed sitting up looking at the device in ever trembling hands, she knew he wasn't going to respond until the morning but she couldn't sleep. Nazz had informed Ed about Kevin doings with the bully after she had gotten her new phone, since Ed had wanted to not how she had known about the party. Ed was the only one who knew the situation well, and knew how serious this was. Ed was a former "bully" himself in middle school and was friends with Eddward, but to some circumstances unknown to her they fell apart. Before she knew it her phone vibrated in her hands causing her to jump taking her out of her thoughts. Nazz looked at the notification that Ed had replied, quickly she opened the message and read it. It was a simple [Alright, I'll keep him out of trouble]

Nazz sighed in relief knowing Kevin would be in good hands now. She quickly sent another text thanking the boy [Thank you so much, I know you don't want anything to do with _**him**_ , and that I'm asking a lot but Kevin really needs someone to keep him grounded and I couldn't think of anyone else...also sorry if I woke you up]

It took the other a moment to reply and Nazz thought that maybe he had fallen asleep but before she knew it he had sent her a message. [Its fine I couldn't sleep anyways. And I knew I couldn't avoid _**them**_ for long. Besides Kevin doesn't know what he's getting into...]

Nazz turned to look at Kevin once again feeling him shift and looked at him sadly [ That's what I'm scared of...You of all people know this situation is bound to get out of hand, and I don't want Kevin involved, I don't want him to try and clean this mess]

[I know... But this situation is more complicated than that. There's so much you don't know Nazz]

[Well I know enough to know that Kevin doesn't deserve to be the one taking the beating for you and Eddy] she answered frustrated. She had known what used to be the Ed's from childhood, she knew something had happened because Eddy and Ed had left for Lemon Brook leaving Eddward in Peach Creek. The day she returned to Quiz Bowl the beginning of sophomore year she had freaked seeing the familiar face of Ed. He had explained to her enough to get her to calm down.

[...and that's why I'll help you keep an eye out for him. I didn't even know Kevin was in contact with _**him**_ in that manner until you told me about the party and stuff. Had I known you and Kevin wouldn't have gotten hurt]

She internally sighed heavily praying he would keep his promise [Ed can you be entirely honest with me?]

[Of course, shoot]

[Can I trust you?]

[That's why you didn't let me know about Kevin's actions until now am I right? I hope that the year we've spent together in quiz bowl hasn't been in vein. I've changed Nazz, really. You can trust me]

Nazz closed her eyes a moment before looking at the message hesitating but she had no other choice at this point [then I trust you to do everything in your power to keep my Kevin safe]

[Cross my heart and hope to die, I promise]

With that she felt her tension in her body lessen [Thanks Ed]

She turned over looking at Kevin and placing her slender hand on to his chest feeling him breathe. She was well aware that this small freckled boy would do absolutely anything for her and that broke her heart. That's why she was doing what was right; she was going to keep Kevin safe. The only way she could guarantee that was keeping him away from Eddward, and she prayed that Ed would do his duty at best without disappointing her. She was going to do the best of her ability to keep him safe. "Hey Kev?" She quietly mumbled out observing his freckled flushed skin "I love you" she whispered out. She then closed her eyes and feel asleep listening to the silent breathing of her best friend.

...

When morning came it had been a hard good bye for the two friends, Nazz had shed some tears hugging him tightly close to her and almost dragging him into the car with her. Kevin had a difficult time convincing her that he was going to be fine, and although she knew the ginger had the protection of Ed, she couldn't be so sure of what might happen during these 2 months. So much had happened already, though she feared of what was to come the most. After what seemed like hours she finally let go, and was taken away seeing her Kevin fade in the mirror as he waved goodbye with a soft smile.

She could only pray now.

Kevin had arrived home later in the afternoon, deciding to take his motorcycle for a spin before heading back. When he entered his home he found his father sprawled out on the old couch watching the sports channel with a bag of chips by his hips. His T-shirt clung to him as a second skin and wore a pair of old teal shorts with pineapples on them (Kevin loved those short honestly, reminded him of his childhood when his father would take him to the beach wearing those same pair). He gave the old man a soft smile and closed the door behind him before walking into the living room. "Hey dad" he spoke out tiredly.

Mr. Barr looked up from the channel to see his son walking in "Hey kid, Nazz left already?"

The ginger boy slumped down on the couch next to his father and stole a couple of chips from the bag stuffing them into his mouth and stared uninterested onto the television. "mmhm" he mumbled out as best as he could with his mouth full. He swallowed before continuing "she left early this morning"

The older man reached out to grab a handful of chips "When she coming back?"

"August" Kevin said sinking further down the couch praying his father would change the channel soon to something more fun.

The man looked down at his upset son giving him a pat on the leg in comfort "Don't worry Kev, she'll be back before you know it. AH and with her a brand new school year" the man chuckled "Damn am I getting old, you'll be 17 soon huh"

Kevin sat up straight with wide eyes looking at his father "Holy shit, you're right… I totally forgot about my birthday"

Mr. Barr laughed out loud "How could you forget your birthday, you're always planning it by these days"

Once again he slouched down grabbing another handful of chips "well yeah but Nazz is always there to help me, and besides it's always just the three of us"

At this Tom elbowed Kevin "why don't you invite that new friend of yours, what's his name, Edwin?"

"Eddward…uh, he's not really the party type of person" the ginger answered awkwardly.

"Well why don't you both hang out on that day, I'm sure it'll be very fun since you're over there a lot of the time anyways?"

Kevin scratched his scalp a bit feeling uncomfortable and anxious with not being able to fully explain to his father Eddward's personality without making him sound, uh anti-social and pessimistic… "Well you don't know that, maybe I might prefer hanging out with my old man on my birthday."

"Then let me know what you decide, you know I'll be home that day no matter what. Wouldn't miss a chance to wish my kid a happy birthday" the old man smiled at Kevin as he turned his attention back to the television "Now let's put on a movie because I know you're dying for me to change it huh?"

"Please and thank you" the ginger boy sat back on the couch and looked up thanking the lord.

The Barr men spend the rest of that day on that used up old couch watching thriller films, something both could compromise. They made popcorn and drank lemonade watching classics like Jaws, X-men, and Lord of the Rings. Into the third movie Kevin's father had fallen fast asleep and little Kevin now hogged all the popcorn to himself. A buzz came from his jeans pocket and took it out to check what the notification was. Nazz had sent him a picture of her grandparents' home and a little text letting him home she had finally arrived.

Kevin rubbed his eyes tiredly as he sent a quick reply to her. His light olive eyes made their way back to the screen to see a fight scene taking place, though he himself wasn't _watching._ He was unfocused. He was thinking about what Eddward had told him about the party. Nazz had never mentioned anything about Ed, though in fact she seemed to have been completely clueless to the boys wear bouts that night. It was obvious to him that maybe Ed was keeping secrets and had lied about not knowing where or when the event was to take place. He found it odd quite frankly because the excessively tall boy was never one to be mixed up in these kinds of things. From what Kevin knew the teen was rather quiet yet extremely cheerful, one to be always helping a friend out.

He looked back down at his phone and saw the time it was nearing 10pm. It was late, but his mind was still on the lingering question. _What was Ed doing there?_ It had been something that had been drifting in his head and confused him since he had left Eddward's house. What little details the raven haired teen had given him made the ginger fairly curious. He decided to quickly send a message to the other [ **Hey Ed, was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime this week?** ]One way or another he was going to get his questions answered. Eddward always seemed to give him very vague answers which highly frustrated the ginger, but if he wasn't going to get clear answers from the swimmer than he was going to get them from someone else.

Kevin drifted his attention back to the screen as he listened to his father's tired snores. He wondered if should get a blanket for him but the summer night air was still fairly hot. Most nights Kevin slept on top of his covers, mainly because he found it stupid to have to unmake the bed and not even cover oneself with the covers but also because he simply didn't want to make it again. Waste of time if you asked him.

The boy wasn't expecting a reply so soon and jumped when he felt his phone buzz in his hands. He quickly looked down and read the message [ **Hey, sure thing Kevin! I was actually going to ask you the same thing lol]** well that seemed perfectly timed.

With a smile at the others cheery reply he sent back a simple [ **Cool, is tomorrow good with you?]**

 **[Definitely, see you tomorrow then** **]**

 **[Awesome]**

With that last reply Kevin stood up and turned off the television and began to clean up as quietly as possible as not to disturb his father's rest. He went over to the kitchen to wash the dirty dishes they had used. As he watched them silently he started to remember his conversation with Eddward in the swimmer's room. He had to admit, Kevin left the teen's home feeling unpleased with the answers that the taller boy had given him. Of course this was Eddward for fucking sake and he knew a miracle was to take place for Eddward Vincent to make a promise to Kevin. Especially the one he had suggested. Nonetheless he had warned the raven haired that he wasn't some doll to be tossed out when done with, _he_ was human, _he_ had feelings, _he_ had his limits. One more screw up from Eddward and Kevin would unfortunately have to walk away, he had his dignity and though the swimmer may not care him the ginger had to take it upon himself to do so and place boundaries.

The evening that day he had stayed with the raven haired teen had been a rather awkward one for both boys. There had been little to no communication between them. Kevin knew that Eddward was not going to say anything in regard to his…breakdown, and he didn't want to make the teen more uncomfortable than he already was. So he had waited for the swimmer to fall asleep once again before making his exit, and riding off back home.

As he finished washing the dishes, Kevin headed back out to the living room. He struggled to lift his father's legs onto the couch but once he did he headed up stairs. From his room he quickly took out a pair of boxers and an oversized T-shirt, no way in hell was he going to sleep fully clothed tonight. It was way too hot for that.

The bathroom in his home was small, well sufficient for the two of them he thought. He began to strip quickly and glanced up at the mirror seeing his scrawny figure. He scrunched his nose in annoyance as he remembered a very shirtless Eddward. Again he critiqued his own physique, a habit he unconsciously did every time he saw his body. The ginger thought it very "feminine" of him to do so, but when compared to a well sculpted fit body like the swimmers well of course he would feel worse about his own. His freckled fingers ran through his freckled chest as he caught sight of small scars, though he didn't want to admit it he knew every beating behind each one. One was from a cut wire from the school fence, another from Johnny's wood board named plank, another from a sharp rock he had been pushed down against by Johnny. The list continued though he'd rather forget. Awkwardly he ripped away from the sight and turned on the shower and got in feeling the cool water relax his tension his mind going blank as he closed his eyes.

Not 15 minutes later the teen was heading back to his bedroom and crawling onto his bed feeling refreshed and relaxed. His olive orbs roamed the semi messy dark room, there were clothes scattered around the floor, bed, and computer chair. Posters hanged on walls some about to drop. An old skateboard that had belonged to his father, one he had never rode and now lay useless next to his bookshelf. Shoes tossed under his bed, tools and screws on his desk along with his laptop, blueprints and his sketchbook. It was unorganized, full of useless things, and well, it represented a typical "boys" room.

The ginger closed his eyes feeling exhausted and inhaled softly letting a shaky breath out. In some way he could easily visualize the swimmer's bedroom perfectly, as if he was lying on Eddward's bed. The white, cold room was completely opposite from his. It was highly organized with labels, and proper, smelled of chlorine and simply cleanliness, but it also held another strong scent. It stood out more so on the sheets of the bed, Kevin had thought it was the teen's cologne, but the fragrance smelled somehow natural.

Somehow highly peaceful

…

* * *

 _ _ **Thank you for reading this chapter and being patient. I just have weeks were i'm overloaded with college work, and lose the motivation to write. BUT fear not for i will always write through until i finally get to the end.**__

 ** _This chapter was going to be longer however i decided to break it up cause the second part felt like a seperate chapter. So if i finished it i'll most likely upload on Monday._**

 _ _ **So please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels (Nazz seems to know more than we had thought...?)**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's see what happends next!**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/N**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**So sorry for the lateness once again :P**_

 _ **I recently adopted a puppy and my soul had been consumed by her cuteness**_

 _ **I was a bit hesitant when writing this chapter, cause i added in another OC. i typically don't like adding alot of OC's and only add them in if i think they are relevant in some way.**_

 _ **So without further rambelings here is the next chapter...**_

* * *

He had woken up very early the next day the smell of pancakes waking him up. He assumed it must be around 7 in the morning as it was the usual time his father left. When he sat up he heard the door closing and minutes after his father's truck roar out loud, no doubt waking up the entire cul-de-sac. Kevin chuckled out at the thought of angry neighbors half asleep in their pajamas. Oh, sure the Barr men had had many encounters with this particular scene, believe it or not when Kevin was younger he'd get into mischief with his friend Rolf who used to live a couple houses over. However the home was now occupied by a friendly old couple. After being caught or scolded Kevin would pleasantly surprise his neighbors by doing a chore of his own willingness.

Deciding it was pointless to dress now, the ginger headed quickly towards the bathroom to brush before quickly running down to the kitchen. What he saw of course was his favorite breakfast in the whole world, pancakes. Sometimes his father just excelled at being the world's number one dad. Never in his life would he be able to repay his father for everything. Kevin had a motto if he wasn't able to make his father proud in physical sports, than he would go far beyond in what he was good at. At least that was the only way he thought he was able to make it up for his lack of talent in sports.

He sat down and happily ate his still warm breakfast. He could hear the kids beginning to come out of their homes and run across the street to play. It was a cheerful morning he thought, the atmosphere very bright. Well, it was summer after all.

He got up and placed the dishes in the sink, filling it up with soapy water. He decided to wash the dishes in the evening, and went to the living room turning on the television as he laid back on the couch. There was nothing much to see, most channels still had on sesame street, Dora the Explorer and such kid's shows. He turned it off staring at a blank screen. It was times like these he didn't know what to do with himself. So the ginger decided to get up and get dressed and head out to town as he waited for Ed.

He waved hello to some of the kids who were wishing him a good morning and got his bike out. Her engine beautifully roared awake, and vibrated under his touch. It was this feeling that got him excited to ride off onto the streets of Peach Creek every time. He stepped on the pedal and rode off with a huge grin on his face.

As he arrived in town he saw little people hanging around town, some opening their shops, some enjoying a nice breakfast outside in the morning sun, while others jogged or walked around the block. Kevin had little chance of going into town during school days because the risk of him bumping into the J's was highly probable. However he knew for a fact that around this time the J's would be out of town on vacation god knows where with their rich parents. So he freely and calmly walked around after parking his bike. He looked into shops and when something caught his eyes he would walk in to explore. The ginger had seen a comic book store which had interested him very much. He walked in the place surrounded by one or two teenagers reading and a bored young man at the counter. He looked about 18, tall scrawny, a subtle forming on his chin with a green alien t-shirt that said _I Don_ _'_ _t Believe In Humans._ Kevin found it kina funny and headed into the manga section picking up random volumes of Naruto, Tokyo ghoul, and One Piece and flipped through them.

30 minutes later he left the store buying the same shirt the employee was wearing except in black. You can't blame him it was a pretty cool shirt. Kevin was in fact very much into the supernatural, though he didn't talk about it much as it was some sort of guilty pleasure. Though you must know he hadn't necessarily gotten the shirt for himself, rather it was for someone else he though the shirt represented very well that it made him chuckle.

As he walked down the street turning this way and that he found a couple of blocks that he hadn't recognized. There was a small café, a flower shop right next to it, some apartment buildings, a bookshop and other little stores full of curious things. He looked in each store through the window, and jumped as he felt his phone buzz suddenly. It was a message from Ed [Good Morning, so when and where do you want to meet today?] as he finished typing his reply he felt a pair of footsteps come uncomfortably close to him. Kevin turned around glancing up from sending his text into familiar striking blue eyes.

Kevin jumped a little startled and simply stood dumbfounded looking onto the figure that was Eddward Vincent.

"What are you doing here?" the raven haired asked looking curious.

The ginger observed the other, he was wearing casual clothing composed of his usual beanie, ripped up jeans, a blood red T-shirt that clung to his fit torso nicely, and sweat bands on each wrist. "What do you mean what I'm doing? What are _you_ doing here?" he asked back extremely curious what the swimmer was doing out in public so early in the morning.

Irritated the raven haired barked out "I asked first"

Pouting the ginger answered "Just walking around while I wait for someone" he crossed his arms looking up at the other hearing the rustle of the bag. Kevin noticed the swimmer eyeing the bag curiously and smiled "I got you something jerk" he took the shirt out and handed it to Eddward who only stared at the shirt.

As Eddward read the shirt he made a face "What's this?"

"It's a shirt genius, I think it describes you perfectly" the ginger chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Awkwardly the other continued to stare at the shirt "here" he said attempting to hand it back.

Kevin simply shrugged "it's a gift, take it. I was going to give it to you another day anyways." He smiled up. The swimmer was about to open his mouth to say something when they heard a bell ring as a door opened behind them.

"Eddward who is this?" A raspy small voice called out from behind them. They turned around and saw a 50 something year old woman walked up to them smiling. "Are you a friend?" she asked Kevin giving him a soft smile. She wore a loose light pink long dress with a flower pattern and a white cardigan over. Her hair a light shade of golden brown that gently curled at the tips as it reached her shoulders. She had glimmering light brown eyes, and her lips covered by a soft pink lipstick displacing her friendly smile perfectly.

"Oh, um..." He hesitated unsure of what to answer, so he looked up for some validation from the other feeling a bit stupid.

"My, my don't be so shy dear, come inside and join us for a glass of ice tea." She pushed Kevin inside.

"Ann, he was just about to leave" Eddward said as he followed, shirt still gripped in hand.

She turned around and gave Eddward a playful slap to his arm "Don't be so rude, let him stay." She placed a hand next to her lips to whisper "He's quite adorable, ain't he?" She chuckled. Kevin chuckled as well looking back at the swimmer and sticking his tongue out jokingly. She patted Kevin in the arm gesturing him to sit down on a stool that was next to the counter. "What's you name Hun?" She asked.

"My names Kevin Barr" he rubbed his hands against his jeans. He was always highly nervous meeting new people, some kind of social anxiety he supposed.

"A very strong name I see, I'm Anna Adams, you can call me Ann for short or if you want to be formal Ms. Adams will do" she patted his shoulder once again. "Alright I'll be right back boys" she said and they watched her disappear behind a very colorful cotton cloth that was hung on the ceiling to divide this room and the next.

Eddward tossed the shirt on a table behind the counter and sat down looking at the ginger annoyingly.

Kevin gave another shrug and smirked crookedly at the other. "So, who is she?" He whispered.

"My boss" Eddward stated his irritated stare not wavering as he crossed his arms to further intimidate the other.

"WAIT! _You_ work here?!" Kevin straightened up in his seat with wide eyes. He turned around to look around the shop. The entire shop was overflowed with many kinds of different items, there were mirrors, jewelry, statues, paintings, pottery and gods knows what else. It appeared to be an antiques shop, Kevin walked over to look around fascinated by the items. "Antiques?" He asked.

"No shit Sherlock" the raven haired called looking over a journal full of scribbles as he rested his head on one hand.

Annoyed Kevin looked back to see if the other wasn't looking and stuck his tongue out once again "wonder how she hired such a unmannered person"

Eddward scoffed as he rolled his eyes "says the person who childishly stuck his tongue out twice" he looked up from his scribbling.

Smirking Kevin made his way back sitting on the stool once again "I bet you know every little detail of history behind everything in here"

"As a matter of fact I do" Eddward said moving his attention to a laptop on the counter and entered names and numbers.

"Of course" Kevin breathed out as he heard rustling behind the sheet and saw Ms. Adams struggling to balance a plate of cookies and glasses with one hand and a jug of ice tea on the other. Immediately Kevin hopped over and took a hold of the items and brought them over to the counter.

"Oh Eddward leave that silly list alone and enjoy a refreshing glass of tea" Mrs. Adams huffed as she poured the tea in a glass and handed one to Kevin and another to Eddward who would not rip away from his task. The woman just chuckled to herself "we're getting new inventory soon" she explained "Go on take a sip"

Blushing Kevin lifted his glass and drank. It tasted minty and very familiar, curious he took another and tried so very hard to remember where he had had the same tea before. He looked up and noticed the other had glanced in his direction. Kevin smirked, now he had it, it was the exact same tea Eddward made at home only cold. _Not so secret anymore huh_ he thought. "It's very delicious Ms. Adams thank you" the ginger smiled at the women.

"I'm so happy you like it, Eddward loves it as well" she smiled looking over at the focused raven haired. Her eyes came back to the attention of Kevin in cheer joy "My, it really is nice to meet a friend of Eddward's. He doesn't talk about himself at all"

Eddward sighed and looked up at the women "There really isn't much to know Ann"

Pouting the women looked back at Kevin "He's been here almost a year and I know so little about him. Tell me is he just as thick headed at school?"

This caused Kevin to erupt into laughter, he was definitely going to get along with Ms. Adams just fine. "All the time" he finally said calming down.

"I'll have you know he's worse" the swimmer accused and took his attention back to the computer.

"Am not!" Kevin said aloud glaring at Eddward playfully.

The woman simply laughed enjoying the bickering between the two "well I see you both get along just great" she paused putting her glass down and handing a cookie to the ginger, who took it gratefully. "So tell me about yourself Kevin, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

"Oh I was just waltzing around town. Never really get to explore much throughout the school year." He smiled up.

"And what do you do for fun? I find it hard for you polar opposites to get along so well" she chuckled placing a hand on her cheek.

"I love robotics, quiz bowl, riding my motorcycle, reading, learning new things" Kevin shrugged taking a bite out of his cookie.

"Oh another highly intellectual child I see, your parents must be so proud of you" Ms. Adams smiled

"It's just my dad and I, and I sure hope he is" Kevin chuckled nervously.

At this statement Eddward looked up curiosity getting the better of him. He eyed the ginger observantly he seemed to be a bit jittery, was it the mention of his absent mother?

"What happened to your mother?" Ms. Adams asked what Eddward wanted to know.

"Died when I was a baby" the ginger simply stated taking a bite of another cookie.

"Oh I'm so sorry dear" she intertwined her hands together giving him a saddened look.

"It's alright, we've been just fine my dad and I" he smiled. He never understood why people always seemed to take pity on him for his lack of a mother figure, but he supposed it was because he never grew attached to his mom, and well that was cause he never _knew_ her. I mean, sure she was beautiful and great and if Kevin had the opportunity he would have wanted to have his mother around. However that just simply wasn't realistic, so he was happy the universe had given him a strong father. "Everything happens for a reason" he stated softly looking down at his glass.

Ms. Adams exhaled softly smiling up at the boy "Indeed it does dear, it really does"

Kevin took his phone out and looked at the time "AH I'm so sorry I should be leaving. I'm meeting up with a friend soon" he placed his glass down on the counter. He hesitantly looked back at Eddward before finding some courage once again and sticking his hand out "C-can I see your phone for a second?" he asked

The swimmer raised an eyebrow and stared at him for a long pause "No" he stated

Rolling his eyes Kevin grabbed his own out and placed it on the counter "There you can hold onto mine for a bit, really quickly please?"

Eddward's stare moved towards the woman who was eyeing him with a look that clearly said _Go on Eddward_ "Fine" he said getting his phone out and handing it to the ginger. He saw the ginger fiddle with the phone rapidly typing something in, and noticed a notification had come in for the ginger's phone.

"Alright done" Kevin said handing it back and grabbing his own "See ya" he waved

"Let me walk you out my boy" Ms. Adams patted him on the shoulder turning him towards the door before stopping and looking back at the raven haired who was occupied with the computer once again. "Say good-bye Eddward"

Eddward looked up a bit annoyed "Good riddance" he quickly said before going back to typing.

She rolled her eyes "Is he always like this with you?" she asked

Kevin chuckled opening the door for them to walk out "Don't worry I take it as a compliment"

"I'm glad, he's a really sweet boy on the inside of that stubborn shell" she smiled glancing back inside. "It's been so lovely meeting you Kevin Barr" she said looking back at the teen.

"I suppose he could be" the ginger laughed nervously knowing well that this woman was oblivious to the Eddward he knew. "Nice meeting you too Ms. Adams"

She placed her tender fingers to his cheeks cupping his face and giving him a wonderful smile "I can see you are very strong my dear. Truly I hope to see you here more often. You are welcome anytime you hear me"

"Thank you" the ginger nodded as he smiled down blushing a bit at the compliment. "Alright then, I hope you have a good day Ms. Thank you for the cookies and tea they were very delicious"

"Have a fun and safe beautiful summer day Dear" the woman waved goodbye for a second before heading back inside.

Eddward had seen the pair make their exit and he quickly checked his phone wanting to know what exactly the ginger had done, he looked all over his phone and when scrolling through his contacts he noticed a new one had been made with the name K. it was simple but he knew it stood for Kevin. The swimmer looked up and saw the ginger blushing as Ms. Adams released her hold on him. A moment later she had walked back inside smiling. "What a wonderful boy, he's definitely a keeper" she said loud enough for Eddward to hear her as she walked past and behind the hanging fabric.

Eddward lowered his eyebrows confused looking at the direction the women had disappeared. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing at all" she called out nonchalantly

"It's never nothing with you" he said

The woman poked her head back out "Shouldn't you be getting back to work Mr. Vincent?"

Eddward gave her a smirk "Right" he said as he picked up the notebook and placed it next to the computer and resumed typing.

…

Kevin rushed off feeling excited. He had learned and met someone new. He supposed that it would make sense that the swimmer would have a job, the kid lived alone and god knows how long his parents took to send him money...if they did that is. It came to the gingers attention how strangely ordinary Eddward was. Behind the hard core bully he knew at school there was what Ms. Adams described a sweet boy. Though he found it hard to believe that he was sweet, Kevin had seen a more of a um, compassionate side so to say to him but not enough to call him _sweet._ It made him wonder what facade, if it was one, was he displacing to the women. Certainly not one he had seen, though he pretty much looked as normal as he usually did in public.

As for Ms. Adams, well let's just say she was definitely well liked. A lovely women, reminded him a lot of his grandmother before grandpa Barr passed away.

He passed shops and streets and he made his way up north where a small park was located across the street there was an ice cream shop named the Jefferson's ice cream Parlor. The business was family owned and stylized in retro, one of Kevin's favorite places. The floor titled in black and white the seats and stools in bright red, many old posters. The place was ageless and honestly sold the best ice cream.

He stood outside waiting for the other Ed. Kevin chuckled, he found it funny and weird that both teens shared the same name, but spelled differently. It really was funny one so happy and kind and the other so...not. He wondered if the two of them knew of each other, well Ed certainly had to know about Eddward, I mean who didn't.

The ginger rocked on his feet leaning against a wall looking onto passing cars and citizens. It was definitely a nice day to be out and about. "Hey Kevin!"

Kevin turned to face the direction the voice had come from and saw the short haired brunette walking up to him. He was wearing a white and red stripped shirt and cargo shorts "Hey Ed" he waved. He was actually happy to see the kid, it had been a while since the last time the Kevin had attended Quiz Bowl. All the beatings and such going on a daily basis during school had made it extremely hard for him to attend his extracurricular activities. Though, he had slipped into Robotics every now and then, because he was aiming to gain a scholarship for college. He walked up to the boy "how's you summer going so far"

The cheerful boy simply smiled squinting as little as he did so "it's been awesome Kevin, been helping my grandma a lot with her chicken coop and caring for them. How has your been? Hopefully not too gloomy without Nazz"

"Totally forgot about your love of chickens" the ginger chuckled softly nodding "It's been good I guess, and nah I mean it might be better for her to get of town you know, relax for once" he shrugged.

"Mmhmm, she's going to wrinkle and have gray hair early in life from all the stress if you keep on making her worry" The taller boy lifted his hand to ruffle the hair underneath his hat knocking it over a bit.

"Just cause you're a giant doesn't give you the right to treat me like a toddler" Kevin pouted placing his hat on correctly then started laughing at the thought of him and Nazz in old age "though it would be hilarious to see Nazz as a cranky old lady"

Ed made gestures with his hands making them point a trembling finger at him and scrunched his facial features "Damn it Kevin, stop clogging up the toilet you old fart" he spoke in a raspy voice.

The ginger burst out laughing holding his stomach tightly "p-perfect" he wheezed out. "Man..." He gasped "...alright then wanna go to the arcade?" He said when he finally was able to calmly talk.

The brunette's eyes sparkled in delight "Yeah!"

...

After an extremely fun couple of oh say...3 hours? The boys finally decided to rip away from the arcade. They had played practically every game there was and had spent a good amount of time in laser tag. Ed winning by a landslide to almost every game they competed in, which was well, everything.

It was around 2 in the afternoon by now, and the teens decided to head back to the ice cream parlor and well eat ice cream. As they entered they noticed a good amount of middle school kids hanging around causing trouble as they tried to lift the waitress shirt each time she walked by, to his amusement was an extreme fail. Rolling his eyes Kevin and Ed lined up to order form all the delicious favors that they had. Strawberry, butter chocolate almond, mint chocolate chip, and the list continued. If Kevin had to pick a favorite it, he'd find it extremely hard because he loved sweets and simply had many "favorites". Today however he went with mint Neapolitan because he thought it was a classic, and added nuts and chocolate chips on top. Ed had ordered a chocolate mudslide with strawberries on top.

They took a seat at the corner of the parlor where there was less people and plenty away from the annoying middle schoolers. It was a lively afternoon; most kids of not all were running about in town enjoying their summer beginnings. Kevin stared out the window watching some fifth graders running around the basketball court, pushing and teasing each other. There was one though about half the size of them watching intently from the sidelines, he was sitting down on the bench with his small hands formed into tiny fists as he gripped his shorts. His hazel eyes following the ball, calculating it's every bounce and the kid's movements.

He was oddly reminded of some very observant eyes he knew so well... Had _his_ childhood been like that boys? From what Kevin could gather the raven haired teen was never very social, but what had he played as a kid? Had he met Blaine later in life or had they been friends already? Somehow...maybe somehow they were so different...? Kevin had only had Ralf as a friend; much like Eddward had Blaine, but had different family circumstances he supposed. How could a kid survive alone without his parents, surely his parents weren't as cruel as to leave an elementary school child on their own...right? _Just how long has Eddward been alone...?_

"Kevin"

He heard Ed's cheery voice call out to him and he faced the other still in a bit of a phase from his thoughts. "Yeah?"

"How have you been?" The brunette asked with a hint of concern in his tone.

Kevin smirked confused by the random question "Fine I guess? Why you ask?"

The other put down their half-eaten cone and stared a bit at it "You've been, uh I don't know different?" He shrugged.

Kevin made a face raising an eyebrow "what do you mean different? I don't feel different?" He laughed out.

"For one you've skipped out on Quiz Bowl, and I've noticed you have also skipped robotics... Freshman year you wouldn't have missed a meeting at all as I've been told." Ed laughed a bit "like kinda like you got kidnapped by an alien one night and was sent back home 'normal' but not really?"

Kevin laughed out at the ridiculous comparison "Maybe I have for all I know" he took his hat off and scratched at his scalp "I don't know, things happen man" he shrugged as well "but hey we all change right? I mean I'm the one who should be asking here"

Ed's looked at him bewildered "I've changed?"

Kevin leaned in curiosity pulling at his strings "you lied" he simply said smirking. The brunette raised an eyebrow, and he continued "you told Nazz you didn't know anything about the party, but you were _there_ that night" he leaned back crossing his arms.

"Who could you possibly know that could confirm this?" Ed spoke in a soft voice to which Kevin though it was weirdly familiar. The brunette smiled back in his usual cheery innocent smile.

A bit taken aback by the brunettes response Kevin recognized the tone of speaking...it sounded much like Eddward's...he unfolded his arms sitting up straight "well E- um someone you probably don't know told me" he decided to keep it anonymous thinking that if mentioning Eddward's name might prevent the brunette from saying anything. Though he mentally slapped himself at his almost slip up. It might be that Ed knew something... No he might know more than he thought he would. _Did he actually know Eddward?_ From his perspective the two boys were on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, never interacted in the slightest, and shared no classes that he knew of. They simply were never found in the same room together... _Yet did he just mock Eddward's way of speaking, or is it a weird coincidence?_ Maybe he was just thinking too much on it.

"Fine, I was there" Ed shoved the little bit of cone left into his mouth before explaining further. "If I didn't tell either of you it was because I was merely trying to prevent more stress on you both, Nazz told me about the beating on both of you" he added shrugging a bit.

"What? But _why_ were you there? As far as I know you had nothing to do there?" Kevin leaned in once again intrigued.

Ed sighed looking over to the middle school brats still failing to lift the waitress skirt when she passed. "I felt uneasy about the Lemon Brooke kids, I hadn't heard from their team leader and sure enough there were over half of the quiz bowl and robotics team in the basement." Ed scratched the black of his neck uneasy "they were sprayed with buckets of water balloons, food was thrown at them, some were used for punching bags, it was pretty bad"

Kevin's heart tightened in his chest, he felt his chest rise unsteady as he was mentally freaking out. _What! B-but Eddward said- he said- HE fucking said nothing had happened, that they weren't there?!_ He cleared his throat and had a hand clench his shorts tightly trying his best not to run to the antique store and yell at the lying bastard. "Shit...How did you know where it was? And how did you get in?"

Ed chuckled "mm I have my ways of finding things out, am highly observant" he winked "and to answer the second question back door, They were _very_ drunk. "

"Uh huh..." Kevin couldn't believe the brunettes luck "B-but I, I uh heard there was a fight, what happened?"

He stared observantly at the other and noticed that for a split second there was anger in the boy's expression, before he simply smirked once again "the dicks got mad I tried to get the kids out of there"

Kevin could tell he was only telling him half the truth, there seemed to be something there that the brunette wasn't telling him, and most likely wouldn't tell him. A sudden high pitch scream interrupted his thought, both of them turned to see what had caused the scream and saw the waitress with an extremely red face kicking the kids out of the parlor. Kevin rolled his eyes once again and turned his attention back to their conversation "but why were the bully's fighting amongst each other if they were mad at you, that doesn't make sense?"

The other was silent for a moment then leaned back in his seat shrugging "you should ask your friend Mr. Anonymous"

.

.

.

The ginger walked slowly back to the spot he had parked his motorcycle feeling numb from his overload of emotions and further questions. What did Eddward gain from lying to him again? How the hell did Ed know where the party was going to happen? How much were Eddward and Ed telling him the truth, how much was false? Why were the both of them keeping things from him? It was all so suspicious and just plain..."weird" he spoke out his last thought.

"What's weird?"

Kevin looked up noticing Eddward leaning against his bike with a poker face, his arms crossed against his chest, holding the shirt he had given him. "What?" He asked sincerely confused making his emotions scatter everywhere.

Rolling his eyes the raven haired stood straight and walked towards the ginger "Nevermind...here" he stretched out the arm that held the shirt "take it back, I don't want it" he stated.

The ginger stared at the shirt a moment before exhaling a sigh "look it's yours now do whatever the hell you want with it, but I'm not taking it back" he walked past the swimmer and headed for his bike taking his hat off and placing it in a small compartment.

Eddward stared at the ginger boy who was obviously bothered by something, and wasn't having it. He followed the boy to his bike and when he was placing his hat away he reached a hand out to grab onto the handle of the bike to trap the small teen.

Kevin felt his body pressed against the bike and he turned around annoyed and was about to say something but when he met those sharp-eyed blue orbs he felt his voice become stuck midway up his throat. "w-what do you want?" he managed to stutter out.

Eddward stared fixedly at Kevin also annoyed by the gingers sudden change in attitude "What's your deal? What did your girlfriend do now?"

Kevin held in his breath extremely curious as to why he cared? Was he possibly, maybe concerned? "Why do you care?" he decided to ask.

The swimmer narrowed his eyes a bit "cause it annoys me" he stated

"Well if it annoys you then please let me go home so your majesty won't be bothered" the ginger tried to push away the other highly irritated. All he wanted to do now was go home and take a nap, he didn't care if it was 3 in the afternoon and the sun was still high up in the sky, he just wanted away from everything at the moment. "Let go Eddward!" he shoved at the other harder.

The raven haired finally let go of the bikes handle however he did not move from his spot "You come all chirpy this morning and now you're leaving cross, what's got you so worked up?" he asked again determined not to let the ginger leave as he was.

Kevin once again looked back up to meet Eddward in the eyes trying extremely hard not to burst out in rage. "First of all Nazz isn't even in town, second of all she's not my girlfriend, more like my sister honestly, and third of all…" Kevin sighed "I'm just…getting annoyed with liars" he lowered his sight and looked to the side.

To his relief Eddward backed away slightly letting him breathe comfortably. "Who did you meet up with?" the swimmer asked after a moment.

"It doesn't matter…" Kevin replied not daring to look back up.

"Sure it doesn't" Kevin felt the other's hand be placed on top of his head and with slight pressure forced his eyes to look down at the ground. He noticed a mere foot of distance was between them. "Make sure you don't drive with such anger, or you'll run someone over if that thick head of yours is distracted" with that Kevin saw Eddward back away, though he continued to stare down at the ground even far after he had heard the painful footstep fade with distance.

 _Did he just show genuine concern for me?_

Finally Kevin looked up and saw no trace of the taller teen anywhere, yet he could still _feel_ his presence so near, the touch on his head burned into his skin, that strong smell of chlorine stung his nostrils…he looked back at his bike irritated though now it was because of something else, something he just didn't understand.

* * *

 _ **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, i surely did with writing yet another aspect of Eddwards life. Hope you liked Ms. Adams i felt like we needed a happy character in this story lol**_

 _ _ **With that please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels (Tell me what are your thoughts on Ed? Ms. Adams?)**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's see what happends next!**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night**_


	28. Chapter 28

The room was hot, though the windows were wide open. The moons light easily able to illuminate the entire room, even reaching the smallest of cracks. Though there was another source of light beaming strong and bright, it was the screen from his phone. It nearly blinded the ginger when he had woken up at 3 in the morning unable to sleep. After failed attempts to fall back asleep he finally surrendered to insomnia deciding to scroll through Facebook seeing his "friends" post pictures of their fun summer adventures. He hoped he'd have some fun during this summer, though it was a bummer that Nazz wasn't around and well, all the mystery with the party and Ed and Eddward's secrecy was hard for little Kevin to fully enjoy himself. His birthday was right around the corner, he was going to turn 17 officially one year left before he'd become an adult under law, with all the adult responsibilities, and no way in hell was he close to being ready for any of it. What he was ready for however was getting the hell out of town.

He scrolled through his contacts and stopped at the letter E feeling a rush of suffocating emotions run through him, though maybe it was the hot air trapped in the small room. He had planned on sending the raven haired boy a message the night after his hang out with Ed, however, because of circumstances he had decided to give him the silent treatment for the time being. It had been a couple days now, and he had yet to figure his thoughts out or some way of conveying his questions and emotions out to the other without yelling. There have been too much anger and yelling in recent times in his opinion, and the thought tired him out. Besides after a couple of days to cool down he began to clearly analyze some things. One Eddward would obviously not respond well if he approached in a violent manner, and most likely either close up or avoid answering by lying more and well that wasn't going to get him anywhere. And two, there was a reason for everything, a reason why the swimmer had lied about it. Eddward had told him that Ed had been there, which made no sense because that would mean that Kevin had easy access to the potential truth. So in other words, Eddward had lied knowing fully well Kevin was going to find out the truth any way. The questions that needed to be answered now were why had he lied? Why the fight had broken out among everyone in that party and why was there no scandal about it? Lastly, why was Ed of all people being shady about the events of the night...

It was now possibly 4:30? Maybe 5 in the morning and the ginger knew at this point he wasn't going to be getting sleep. He rolled onto this stomach grabbing the phone tightly in front of him holding a breath that nearly choked him as he built courage. Finally, he clicked on the contact and wrote a simple [ hey], he stared at it for a good five minutes before closing his eyes and pressing the send button. Then quickly shoved the phone under his pillow and prayed that his screaming nerves would calm down, perhaps it was fear? He did feel a hint of fear, what exactly for he wasn't sure, just the thought that he had just sent a text to his former bully was ridiculously unbelievable.

He kept his eyes closed praying it had been a dream, then as he felt vibration from under his pillow and he mouthed a silent _fuck_. He reached under and looked at his phone surprised the teen had been awake at this hour. [what?] Had been the reply making him roll his eyes, then guilt crept in as he remembered the hour and thought that perhaps he had woken the swimmer up.

[Didn't mean to wake u...] He wrote back and sent it feeling extremely awkward.

After a short couple of minutes he had received a reply [Already was awake] it said.

The gingers eyebrows shot up confused as to why the heck the raven haired boy was awake this early in the morning. So he dared to ask [ 5 in the morning? During summer break?]

[Why are _you_ awake?]

[Can't sleep, so what r u doing?]

[Maybe I can't sleep either]

[U're starting to sound shady as fuck man]

[Calm down nerd, I was out on a run until you interrupted me]

Pft…Kevin let out a series of chuckles thinking how ridiculous the swimmer was waking up at such an hour, it made him sound as if he was training for the Olympics or something. Then he stopped for a moment…he wouldn't be surprised if he was. "Fucking hell… only Eddward Vincent wakes up at 5 in the morning on summer break" he rubbed his forehead feeling a slight headache begin to build up [Of course u would be]

[So, why can't you sleep?]

The tired ginger stared at the ceiling contemplating the question and wondering what was the best answer to give. He didn't want to confront the swimmer through messages, obviously talking in person was best.

[I just think too much] he looked at the clock for a moment […um can I come over later today?] he asked.

[My response has never seemed to stop you from coming over before]

Rolling his eyes… _god I do that a lot don't I? huh_ … he typed his next message [Right, what time r u free?] he asked due to the newly found knowledge that the teen worked, though he didn't know his schedule.

[Preferably after 4]

[Alright, thanks] Kevin typed without thinking much about it

[What for?]

He paused to think for a moment. He remembered the few times Eddward had done something for him…his stomach grew a bit somber wondering if the swimmer was ever going to thank _him_ for everything he has done…probably not, that was just the way the guy was. [I don't know] he replied.

[You should try going back to sleep. Lack of sleep will critically hurt your thinking and learning capabilities]

Kevin rolled his eyes once again; stopping a moment wondering if his eyes might get stuck mid-way if he kept rolling them this constantly. [Gee, very informative as usual] with that he placed his phone under his pillow again and rolled to face the other side. He sighed…there it was again, that awkward way the other seemed to display concern…if it could be able to be considered as concern. Maybe, he was misunderstanding, but it was just enough for little Kevin to take note that it was abnormal for the swimmer. He had realized that the taller teen had begun showing potential worry for him since the night at the other's house. He wondered why…was it guilt? Regret? Did he feel in debt to him for staying by his side after what had happened? Possibly, but he could never be sure with Eddward. Either way he was filled with some relief at the thought that the raven haired teen was making some progress once again…he hoped for the other to open up once again.

He closed his eyes knowing well that he wouldn't actually sleep, but being engulfed in darkness and silence was calming for his headache. His chapped lips parted filling his lungs with cool air, bringing his overwhelming hot body to a relaxing state. Ever so slowly he began to let his mind scroll through memories with Nazz and Rolf a year ago, and when he had won his first quiz bowl…and the sunset on top of the school roof as he leaned into a certain warm body…

.

.

.

The quiz bowl captain had been constantly in contact with him ever since Nazz had left making Kevin think that the teen thought he was lonely or something without Nazz. In reality, he was far from lonely without Nazz, he supposed because the blond girl liked to call in the morning and talked for 2 hours straight. As much as Kevin liked to talk with his friends he couldn't help but feel like he was being babied in an overprotective way by both.

"Yeah Nazz, I already ate breakfast…" he smiled hearing the girl chatter on about how he should eat a lot of fruit in the morning and all the nutritious benefits of having a well-balanced breakfast and such. To Kevin, all that mattered was just eating great food. "Uh huh, yeah…yeah, ok have fun. See if you can charm someone and have your first summer romance" the young ginger chuckled out imagining Nazz's red face "Alright then, talk to you tomorrow, bye" he ended the call with a smile.

He placed his cell phone in the pocket of his shorts and strolled upstairs to his room, slowly. He was wearing simply the pair of basketball shorts for it was way too hot to be wearing anything else. The wooden floor felt almost calming under the touch of his freckled small feet. He shoved his hands inside his pockets and took a seat on his computer chair. The boy looked up at the ceiling feeling sort of numb from his lack of sleep. He was in a state where he really wanted to sleep but his body was wouldn't allow him. His mind was in a weird mixture of going blank for moments and then suddenly screaming out thoughts, ideas and most of all questions.

Blinking he lowered his gaze and looked at his sketchbook…he had to start thinking of projects if he wanted to attain a great scholarship. So he set aside his thoughts about everything else and picked up a pencil and began doodling out ideas, and concepts. Much to his frustration, he didn't get many good ideas.

Instead the boy rested his cheek against the palm of his hand looking to the side to see his alarm clock flashing 12:23 pm…still a couple hours until he had to go over to the raven haired teen's home. Kevin wondered if he could make a visit to the shop, but knew the swimmer wouldn't appreciate his sudden appearance. Maybe he could go in someday when Eddward wouldn't be working. Though he had to figure out his schedule first… Maybe he should get a job? It might help him get his mind of all the stress and help his father in some way. Maybe it would only add to his stress…

The ginger decided to take a shower and attempt to take a nap, for if he didn't he was afraid he'd drive himself crazy with his overthinking mind.

…

Heavy footsteps walked along a hot payment through a deserted neighborhood. It had been a long time since he had walked through his neighborhood, he didn't like it one bit. Always bringing him an eerie feeling, despite the fancy houses and cars the neighborhood always seemed to be a ghost town. Maybe it was the memories the placed brought him, of his two friends… maybe it was the tragic event that happened in the neighborhood, or maybe it was the feeling of guilt that made him feel afraid of the area. Either way, he was slowly being consumed by his past knowing well that down the street in the familiar white home was the residence of someone he wished to never be in contact with ever again.

He was going to attempt to talk to this person for the first time in over 2 years. Though he had had tried to escape for as long as possible, he knew the situation was unavoidable. Especially after the lemon brook party… This time, he couldn't turn his back, there was someone innocent slowly crawling into the spiders web. His plan was to simply get him to release the victim before destroying the poor thing. He didn't know what the bully was thinking getting this boy caught up in all this, though he hoped for the sake of everyone that he would quite this sick game.

He eventually reached the house he was looking for and stood out looking straight up at it. He began to feel nauseous as memories flooded in like a thunderstorm…the sensation was so overwhelming it made him almost want to vomit. He didn't know what he felt any more guilt, regret, shame, fear, or maybe anger? Possibly a mixture of everything.

The house was grim looking even though it was the middle of the day and the sun was still up high in the sky. Then he remembered the home had always been that way, it was odd how some things just never appeared to change even when the people around did. It seemed just like yesterday that he and his two pals had been running around the neighborhood plotting shenanigans and causing trouble for the kids who used to live here. It seemed like a breath ago that their big fight had occurred. As he closed his eyes for a moment breathing in trying to steady his heart rate he couldn't help but surrender to the flashbacks that caused his head and chest slight pain. The yelling, the punches, shoves, and insults…the confusion and heartbreak he had felt that day cutting through ripped open wounds.

They had been three innocent children at first and in a small span of time everything had taken a complete turn.

He missed them…

The friends in his memories that is

For they had grown up and followed in the wrong path; all living distinct yet similar lives. He knew they wouldn't ever to go back to being the way things used to be.

Finally, he took steady steps to the front of the house and gave three knocks. He stepped back and listened intently for any signs of movement from within knowing the teen was most likely locked up in his room. He always was.

He decided to knock once again after a couple of moments, before deciding that the teen was not home. He knew the teen would no doubt answer in a promptly time unless he had perhaps seen him coming. So he decided to do the next best thing and took a seat at the foot of the steps of the front porch and simply waited taking in the scenery of the quiet neighborhood.

…

It had been a long quiet day in the shop; Of course, that was how it was almost 90 percent of the time. It was part of what he liked about the job, that and the wondrous history behind every single thing in that small place. The owner, Ms. Adams had been exceptionally conversational today begging him to bring in a certain red head back into the store. Was there anywhere he could possibly be able to run off to that the ginger boy would not follow? He highly doubt it. Somehow the small teen was always able to creep into new aspects of his life, and learn new characteristics of his persona. He knew the nerd was highly observant of him for a while now. The boy looked at him with curiosity and questioning eyes. Though he knew the teen was now guarded and protective of himself he was still carefully showing compassion. The new knowledge that the boy was picking up began to make him afraid, though what made him most afraid was that he was _allowing_ the boy to gather information, _allowing_ him to build a weapon against him.

The swimmer knew he didn't deserve it, none of it. His company, his compassion, his support…none of it. Maybe that was why he was allowing the ginger to do whatever. Every time he saw the boy the memories of the beat up just came crawling back. His disappointed freckled face and fogged olive eyes burned strong in his mind. Guilt and sadness were branded into his chest with the hot iron of remorse. At least he still had some humanity left he smiled grimly stopping at a red light. The silence in his car made him turn his head and look onto the empty passenger seat where the ginger boy once sat half-asleep mumbling questions. It had been the day he had done something _good_ for once. He prayed he would be able to once again, though cowardice latched onto his neck strongly. Would it ever be able to let him go?

If only the ginger hadn't found him that afternoon…he wouldn't be feeling any of this, he wouldn't have to deal with any of this…no expectations, no hurt, no confusion, no disappointments. He would have long been gone, done with this world.

Yet the more time he spent around the ginger the more he felt…grateful? It was weird, abnormal, alien, but somehow he began to wonder what would have become of the ginger had their encounter on the bridge not happened, had he been…gone.

Would the ginger still be dealing with the Jimmy and Johnny? Most likely...Would their terror have escalated to an extreme? Would Kevin have been better or worse without him around? He shook his head lightly as if the action would shoo the thoughts out of his head and focused on turning into his neighborhood. With one final thought, he pulled into his drive way…Had they never had that encounter his disappearance would have held no significance on the gingers life…it would have been for the better perhaps.

As he pulled the key out of the ignition he looked onto the porch and found a familiar face making eye contact with him. The teen was giving him a soft smile, though it appeared friendly he knew better. The unnerving smile suffocated him…he never thought he would be looking onto the teen's face ever again, well he had thought the same before Sam's party but he had seen him briefly that night, the idiot. His body tensed as he slowly began to build walls all around himself, mentally and emotionally. When he 'relaxed' he stepped out of the car and closed the door with an intimidating shove.

"Howdy Double D"

"Don't _EVER_ call me that again!" Eddward stepped closer portraying his usual bully persona and made himself tall and strong. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"I just came to talk" the teen announced placing his hands up in surrender

"How DARE you come here! You have no right to show up at my door, or have you forgotten what happened, Ed?" Eddward stared down at the brunette in utter disgust.

Ed made no movement from the spot he was sitting on though he moved his gaze to the side as the feeling of guilt crawled back up his throat. He knew Double D, er…Eddward…wouldn't do anything to him, he was just being protective. So he stayed in place and in silence for a moment. "Look D, I didn't come here to apologize…how could I? Besides do you _really_ deserve an apology after all you have done? Eddy's been on the bad side longer than you but even he hasn't done half the stuff Sam's ordered you to do."

Eddward tensed feeling his anger slowly begin to rise "HE is not in the situation that I'm in, and you know it"

"You could have always just said no" he replied looking up at the raven haired teen directly for the first time "I did"

The swimmer rolled his eyes "You know well it's not that easy…Sam's got a bounty on your head since you left, and now he may as well have placed one on mine for the stunt you pulled at the party"

"Interesting I haven't heard news; I would have thought Sam would be at our door the morning after ready to beat the living shit out of us both" Ed scratched his hair in thought "oh, by the way thanks though I didn't ask for your help"

Eddward crossed his arms annoyed "If this is all you came for go ahead and leave for good this time if you would please."

Ed finally stood up sighing heavily "No, that isn't exactly the reason why I came…" he stared down intently at the blue eyed teen.

"Then enlighten me would you?" Eddward held his stare up at the taller brunette.

Ed chuckled "Same sassy Double D"

"I SAID DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!" Eddward bit back his veins popping out in a threatening manner. A sudden memory hit him as he breathed heavily…

 _"Someone far scarier than me minnow" he said comically._

 _The ginger swatted the hand away laughing uneasily a bit "Don't call me that"_

 _"Minnow" Eddward said again_

 _"Seriously...I hate it"_

"Fine fine, I guess old habits are hard to get rid of" Ed shrugged "It's about Kevin…Kevin Barr"

"What about him?" Eddward asked a bit taken aback.

"You need to let him go" Ed crossed his arms now

The swimmer was utterly dumbfounded "What are you talking about?" he asked

"Don't act like you don't know. If you continue to let him follow you around like a puppy you'll end up hurting him! Let him go before he gets too mixed up in your personal problems. He doesn't need that in his life, let him focus on his own" Ed spat out, it was typical of Double D to do something like this, Marie Kanker hadn't asked to get caught in his web, he had lured her in and ended up breaking her.

"I didn't ask for that nerd to come waltzing into my home! You think I haven't _tried_ to get rid of him? He's a stubborn little shit, I can't convince him to go away! Everywhere I go he follows, I don't have him on a fucking leash for fucks sake, _he's_ doing this willingly!" Eddward gave a shove onto the brunette "Something neither of you ever did…" he mumbled out.

"Because he doesn't know what he's getting into" the brunette said lowly "If you don't get rid of him, you know Sam will go after him…you know better than to get attached"

"I'm not!" Eddward quickly spat out though his chest ached with the unspoken words… _it's too late…_

"Good, then leave him alone" the taller teen began to walk away when he heard a rumbling and a bunch of loud mischievous laughter. Nervous sweat hit them and in a split second both stared at one another.

"Get inside" Eddward said

…

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 _ **Guys you have no fking idea how excited i am about writing the next couple of chapters! Hold onto your seats cause drama, so much drama and no pause!...it's all going to lead to some emotional bonding b/w our protagonists lol**_

 _ _ **Ok with that please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels (Tell me what are your thoughts are on Ed and Eddwards encounter?)**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's see what happens next!**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**To answer the guest review on chapter 27, yes I do plan on making them a thing, but that won't be for a while. I'm trying to take a different approach and attempt to write a story that hopefully presents a more realistic view of falling in love with someone. These two characters are so different in personality that they tend to collide most of the time (Especially Edd's closed off nature and Kev's persistence), so it will take some time for them to get to that point. I hope you enjoy the ride and in the meantime, know that they will have cute moments as you can see I like to tease ;)**_

 _ **Alright, Enjoy this chapter everyone! It's the longest I've written for this story (7K!)**_

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He opened his eyes slowly blinking, looking out the window seeing the sun shining even more brightly, the air in the room heating up. Kevin groaned rolling over to the side and checking he's clock which now read 2:46, he decided he would leave in half an hour and closed his eyes once again, but didn't sleep because he knew that he might oversleep, instead he rolled onto his back, spreading his arms and legs wide out on his bed. He felt so tired and bored. Summer was only fun when he wasn't stressed, fully rested and with friends... Otherwise he was only grateful he wasn't being picked on and beaten.

Gingerly he stood up and swayed over to his closet rubbing at his tired eyes. He was beginning to wonder if riding his motorcycle was a good idea. His sleep deprivation was making him beyond sleepy which could then raise his probability of getting into an accident. Maybe it would be better to ride the bus? He thought straight up walking would be too hellish with the burning hot sun.

He took out a light red tank top that fit his small frame nicely; he thought it didn't make him look too scrawny. He also reached for a pair of beige cargo shorts, and white converse. He smiled softly looking at himself in the full body mirror he had hanging on the closet door. It really did feel good to see no bruises on his body, and it felt good to be able to walk out with nothing to hide. He shut his closet and grabbed his quiz bowl cap sitting on his unmade bed, then his wallet stashed away in his desk.

As he headed out the door and walked out he saw the cul-de-sac kids enjoying their summer to the fullest. A group of five kids were running around shooting water guns and throwing water balloons in an attempt to imitate a battle field. The ginger laughed at their ridiculous yelling and toothless laughs. Ignorance truly was bliss.

He walked over to the end of the street and sat on a bench waiting for the bus. The rays of the sun were making him sleepy again, so he decided to close his eyes knowing the bus wouldn't arrive for another 15 minutes. The street was in tranquility, the only sounds he could hear were that of the children yelling in the distance and the slightly breeze moving nearby trees.

The small teen wondered how today was going to end, good? bad? So so? The only thing he hoped was that he wouldn't necessarily get into another fight with his former bully. Kevin was just so tired of yelling, and feeling angry all the damn time. It was summer for Christ's sake. Maybe they could sit around and chill for part of the day, he didn't know maybe read, watch a movie or something. He doubted the raven haired teen would be pleased to get ambushed on questions right off the bat after work.

He knew the taller teen enough to know how to approach him with these things to some extent. All he really wanted to know was why lie? Had he had some participation with the torment of the lemon brook kids? The thought sickened him horribly; he dreaded to hear the answer from the other. He sighed wiping some sweat from his forehead; he wished he would have slept all day. Maybe that was what he was going to do tomorrow, just catch up on sleep.

...

"So you finally decided to bring up that girly seat from the basement" the brunette announced looking onto the living room he thought he would never see again, and saw a familiar flower patterned chair "you should change the curtains or maybe add some flowers to compliment it"

Irritated the raven haired locked the front door "now is not the time to be critiquing my living room decor" he headed into the room to close the curtains and turned to the brunette quickly "instead, go lock the back door"'

"You're not going to make me take off my shoes?" The brunette smiled teasingly

Eddward mumbled something under his breath for a moment "If we were in a different situation I would" he stared angrily at the taller one.

"Hey! Look at you controlling that OCD, good job DD" Ed chuckled making his way with big stomps towards the back door knowing it would irritate the swimmer further.

With angrier mumbling the raven haired teen made his way to the basement and began his search for some old baseball bats. He hoped it wouldn't have to resort to such violence, but bringing them out would definitely be threatening to their opponents.

"What are you looking for? I'll help" he heard the taller teen ask from the door.

"Bats" he said moving boxes around quickly, then they heard loud poundings on the door

"COME OUT! We know you're both in there!"

"Shit" Eddward cursed under his breath quickly moving around the basement in his search

"The ones we used to play with right?" Ed said moving quickly as well.

"Yes" he was beginning to become frustrated, where in the hell had he placed those damn bats!

Ed ran over to the other side of the basement nearly tripping over a bottle and looked down in surprise and gave the other a look. Then began moving some equipment Eddward had laying around and at the bottom of it all laid three wooden baseball bats with their names engraved messily on them "Found them Double D!"

"I said don't call me that for fucks sake!" Eddward called running over "alright let's head upstairs...fucking hell, if they scratch my car it'll be on you dipshit"

"But Double D~ I don't have the money to pay off your extravagant car" he playfully whined following the other upstairs into the living room.

Eddward groaned angrily at the old nickname "your fault! They must have followed you here. No one knows where I live" he whispered peeking out the window. He counted one, two...three...and a fourth person in their car...he huffed he would definitely need the bats in hand.

"Eddy knows D..." Ed whispered looking grimly "you think he was capable of telling Sam?"

"That asshole will do anything if you bribe him with the perfect price" Eddward growled lowly at the mention of his old companion…now rival. "Alright I'll take Trevor and the blond doofus next to him you take the other two"

Ed frowned looking at the bat in his hand "…I hate fighting" he spoked sadly

The raven haired teen looked up at the taller boy, a somber feeling hitting his stomach hard as he remembered that the brunette was never one for conflict or aggression of any kind, though that only lasted a second as they heard more banging and yelling. "You better come out! I'll trash your car Eddward!"

Sighing he placed a hand on Ed "Look big guy we don't have much of an option at the moment. Go ahead and try to make an escape through the back ill handle this if you think this is too much for you" he patted the other and walked closer to the door trying to come up with a well calculated plan in his mind as to how the hell he was going to take on four of Sam's goons.

"…No I'll stay…" Ed held the bat tighter in his hand feeling a little scared "Take it as a debt payment for helping me escape Sam at the party"

Eddward looked back at the other thankful because he knew if he tried going out he would be doomed, though it would only be a once in a life time thing and they both knew it. Suddenly they heard rushed footsteps and they stared at each other a bit in surprise "How many did Sam send?" the raven haired questioned cursing in his head.

Ed went back into the living room and peeked out the window to count how many more had shown up, instead Trevor and the three other had circled who ever had just arrived blocking his field of vision. He bent and stretched himself up high on his toes trying to see who the new person was. The brunette was able to make out parts of a bright red baseball cap "…is that…Kevin?" he questioned squinting.

"Hey!" they heard the ginger yell out

"FUCKING SHIT!" the raven haired teen quickly turned to dash out the door in a panic. Trevor, an olive skinned teen about his height with light brown hair and dark eyes turned around holding Kevin by the collar tightly.

Kevin's terrified green eyes looked from the swimmer to the bulky brunette in front of him trying to decipher the situation at hand. He kept his mouth shut afraid of saying something unnecessary, he was used to the J's, but definitely not four scary looking random guys. Eddward walked steady yet intimidatingly letting his opponents see the bat gripped tightly in his right hand.

"Let him go!" They heard the yell from Ed running towards them "He's got nothing to do with this!"

Kevin turned surprised and shocked to see the tall teen running out of Eddward's house. What the hell was going on!

Trevor eyed Eddward with a cocky smile "Is this your toy?" he lightly shook the ginger "He seems fragile…Have you broken him yet?" he chuckled.

The words the brunette spoke angered the swimmer by the second but he wasn't about to let his emotions show through. He gripped the bat so tight he might have broken it if he wasn't trying his hardest to keep his cool "Peach Creek High is under my supervision, leave him be. This is between us"

Trevor shoved Kevin onto one of the goons standing by "Don't let him escape, he'll be our dessert after I finish this" he said before turning back to the raven haired teen. "Oh, I'll try my best to return him in one piece…though I can't make any promises. Now let's get this over with" he laughed maliciously.

"Leave him alone Trevor!" Ed yelled out looking for ways to save the ginger "You can't take him, he's innocent!"

"Yeah, so is that rest of 'em. Now shut it, boss will surely rank me higher if I bring you back to him" he cracked his knuckles "Liam, go show the traitor never to mess with the boss ever again" he called over to another jock standing dumbly waiting for instructions. "As for you little fucking shit" he called over to Eddward who was ready to pounce "Boss's got a message for you…" He took a step closer flexing as he went "…one more mistake and he'll end you"

Had Kevin not learned to read some of Eddward's hidden emotions he would have never been able to tell, and he was for sure that no one else saw it anyways. In a split second when the brunette had said that whoever it was would _end_ him, Eddward had tensed up completely. Not in an angry sort of way, no, the sudden paleness of his olive skin and wavering of his eyes had lead Kevin to read that the teen was afraid. He was terrified of whoever this person was. In that split moment he had seen the bully who had stood before him watching him get beat up…because he was too afraid to do anything else. The ginger breathed in deeply, but it was hard to fill his lungs. His breath quickly began to pick up speed…it was the beginnings of hyperventilation. _Is this happening again? If he going to leave me? Is he…is he going to turn his back on me?_

"ARGH!" Kevin's panicked mind stopped suddenly as he looked over and saw Ed easily throwing the guy named Liam harshly onto the ground. They all stopped in awe of the brunette's magnificent strength, before the fourth goon finally snapped out of it and with courage charged at the taller teen. Kevin's mind was completely blown by the guy's strength as he was easily taking on both at the same time.

"TAKE THIS MOTHERFUCKER!" he heard the guy named Trevor yell as he punched Eddward hard on the face, taking advantage of the unfocused opportunity. Eventually through hard hits they ended up wrestling on the ground trying to get the upper hand. They kicked, and threw punches as hard as they could and very soon Kevin could see blood begin to be spilled. He realized that Eddward didn't have the bat no longer in hand and quickly looked for it on the ground. It was laying a few feet away from the wrestling teens; maybe if he could get away he could take a swing and hit one of them on the back.

He looked to the side and carefully noticed his capture had a firm grip on his right arm, though his focus was on the fights at hand. Ed just shoved and threw the other two, making them bump into each other. It was kind of like he was _trying_ to avoid hitting either teen. Eddward was now the one on top and was pinning the other down by his back as Trevor thrashed around like a shark trying to loosen the grip on the other.

Kevin breathed in slowly trying to calm himself. He had no capability of fighting, sure he was able to struggle and such, but _actual_ fighting was unimaginable for him. He simply didn't have the muscle for it. So how he could manage to get away from the bulky dummy holding him captive he didn't know, maybe fighting held some intellect to it. Either way he was able to catch the guy unguarded as he watched his companions in desperate need of assistance. Kevin could read his body language eager to get in action, and clearly unfocused on his task of guarding him. So in a sudden swift movement Kevin pulled away as hard as he could and with his whole body weight kicked the guy right where it would hurt the most.

The guy bent down in utter pain grabbing at his crotch as he groaned and cursed at the ginger. Kevin looked back and made eye contact with the raven haired teen who was looking at him with wide eyes that informed him that he should run away now that he had the chance. Although he knew the raven haired teen was right Kevin legs would not move. They shook in the spot he stood as he saw Trevor reach for the bat and landed a blow on Eddward's back as he turned and kicked him off. He was terrified as he saw the teen growl in pain, never before had he seen someone overpower the teen. He never thought someone could win against Eddward Vincent. All the rumors at school had let everyone know not to mess with the swimmer… and now he feared someone was able to suppress the mighty king of sharks.

"KEVIN RUN!" Ed's yell shook Kevin from his terrified state and without a moment's hesitation the ginger snatched the bat from the unsuspecting bully and with one powerful swing he hit the other, knocking him right out. The bulky brunette fell to the ground groaning softly as his conscious went hazy, the guy who had held him captive had ran to his leaders side still wobbling from pain.

Petrified green orbs interlocked with shocked blue. Then Kevin felt Ed grab at him harshly pulling him away. "W-Wait, Wait! Ed!" Kevin struggled against the giant teen "Wait" he looked back and saw two of the goons struggling to get Eddward pinned down on the ground as the other checked on Trevor. "Ed! Stop we can't leave him there alone! They'll hurt him!" Kevin cried out as he pushed against Ed's mighty grip.

"I need to get _you_ out of here!" Ed pleaded as he rushed Kevin away from the scene in a panic.

"NO!" Kevin stabbed at the brunette's foot harshly with the heel of his shoe, managing to loosen Ed's grip and quickly pulled away running back to Eddward's aid. There wasn't much he could do for he knew he wasn't strong enough, so he was beyond relieved when he saw Ed running beside him. Ed easily grabbed a hold of one of the jocks and threw him onto the other. He then picked up a beaten down Eddward. The tall teen carried him over his shoulder as he grabbed Eddward's dangling keys from his back pocket and wrapped his other hand around Kevin's waist picking him up as if he was as light as a feather. "Woah!" Kevin yelped as he was picked up, and quickly looked over the brunettes shoulder to see how the other Ed was doing. The raven haired seemed to be in slight pain, but thankfully not too much. It looked like he had a bleeding nose, what looked to be a forming black eye and Kevin was sure he would be heavily bruised on his back where the bat had hit.

He was placed down and so was Eddward "can you drive?" Ed asked Eddward out of breath. The raven haired teen shook his head slightly and pointed to Kevin. Ed gave the ginger a questioning look before Kevin took the keys and unlocked the car. Ed helped Eddward into the back seat and then ran to the other side as Kevin started the car. The ginger took a deep breath feeling his nerves quickly rising as he remembered the last time he had driven this car. "KEVIN, DRIVE!" he heard Ed yell as the two jocks were running towards them at full speed.

Quickly, he backed up nearly running over the two teens and only saw them giving them the middle finger as they drove away. When Kevin drove out of the neighborhood he heard police sirens in the distance, he was thankful they had escaped just in time. He decided to pull onto the freeway to reassure their get-away was successful...

As they drove peacefully fast through the freeway he finally let the breath he was holding out, relaxing his tension. He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline finally pumping through his body and excitement filling his brain. _I can't believe I just did that! I can't believe I just did that! Oh my fucking god! I hit two guys twice my size!_ "Holy fucking shit…" he breathed out.

"You going to be ok Kevin?" Ed asked worried seeing the ginger a bit unsteady.

Kevin took deep breaths and suddenly had a huge grin on his freckled face "I'm more than ok! Did you guys _see_ me!?" he said turning over to face Eddward who was staring back with a grin plastered on his face. They felt the car move uncontrollably on its own for a mere second from his excitement.

"EYE'S ON THE ROAD!" Ed and Eddward yelled in union.

"AH! SORRY SORRY!" Kevin steered the car back to a steady speed and on their correct lane. Then the ginger began to giggle. He certainly was NOT expecting this outcome as a possibility on how today was going to go. Fucking Eddward Vincent…he wondered what the reason was for this mess. Well, both Ed's had A LOT of explaining to do when they arrived to where ever they were driving to…hmmm home, yeah his home. Kevin's father wouldn't be getting home until very late at night that day and always leaved early in the morning which gave them enough time to all talk.

He heard Ed chuckle along as well, and through the rearview mirror saw Eddward shaking his head with a small smirk as he looked…at him. Kevin felt his face become a touch warm, probably from the weather he thought. He tried to ignore the warmness as he drove the rest of the way home.

When they had gotten there, he could sense the raven haired teen become tense so he casually announced "No one really gave me direction, so I just thought I'd take us here. Besides, my dad won't be home till late." Through the mirror he saw the teen relax a considerable amount. They all got out and headed inside Kevin's home. He didn't know why but he was feeling nervous and shy about entering his home. His house wasn't as big or as fancy as Eddward's; he wondered if the teen would be displeased. _Oh god…_ the realization hit him as he grasped that this was the first time Eddward would step _into_ his home.

They went inside the quiet home, which still smelled of breakfast from that morning. Ed's stomach growled as he hummed to himself "mm, got some toast?" he questioned Kevin with bright shining eyes.

"Go knock yourself out, you know where it is" Kevin chuckled pointing to the kitchen. He turned to Eddward who had taken off his shoes and was awkwardly looking around the house as he was tensely folded onto himself in a way only Kevin could read that he was highly uncomfortable "Would you like anything?" he asked a bit sheepishly, feeling that same warmth again. He had to make sure to open windows so the air could run through, damn summer heat.

"…no I'm fine" he said awkwardly looking at Ed as he freely made himself at home and put some bread into the toaster.

"Alright" he sighed "L-let's get you checked out." He lazily pointed upstairs "There's a kit in the bathroom upstairs, let's go to my room" the ginger lead the way up the stairs and noticed the swimmer following behind slowly taking in the home.

Eddward was in a way mesmerized by Kevin's home…it just had a completely different feel to it than his own. For one, it wasn't cold like his but instead warm. Though, not a summer's heat warm but a warmness that most homes should have... The one that said there was happy family occupying the residence. It gave him a nice feeling. The portraits on the walls up the stairs showed Kevin from his elementary years as he held up a certificate indicating his graduation from kindergarten. His face was lit, and full of red paint which made his olive eyes stand out above all else. He had a toothless grin, as he held the paper up high in the air.

The next one was of an amusement park, little Kevin was being held in the arms of a bulky man who looked much like him to some extent. They shared the same hair color, the same facial features, and the same smiles. Though Kevin's father was taller, more muscular, brown eyed and he could tell even through the happy smile the man was overworked. The third was of middle school Kevin as he held a small trophy in hand and held the famous quiz bowl cap to his head proudly.

The last one seemed a bit more recent as Kevin looked about his current age. The picture seemed to tear at Eddward's insides as he stared at it… it was a simple school picture of Kevin. Though it looked normal and innocent to the rest of the world he could see the bright olive eyes in the previous pictures turned dim on this one. The ginger's face was exhausted and had dark circles under his eyes, his smile was faked, his freckled skin pale, and he noticed a slight hint of a bruise on his collarbone. To someone who didn't know would have thought it was just lighting or a smudge or something of the sort, but he knew… when he remembered that _he_ had placed that small bruise…and it tore him apart.

Coughing a bit he ripped his stare and continued to follow Kevin now looking down at the carpet floor unable to look at the boy in the eye no longer. He saw the ginger's feet stop at his door a moment in hesitation. "What's wrong" he asked lifting his head a little.

Kevin felt the warmth quickly raising to his face "Uh…J-Just that it's a bit messy…" he stuttered out.

Eddward rolled his eyes "I'm sure it's not that bad"

"Fine" Kevin pouted and opened the door to his room.

Now there was something about the boy's room that made him feel that warmness even stronger. His bed which lay in the middle of the room was untidy and the raven haired could tell he hadn't made it in several days from the little stack of clothes on it. There were a small set of trophies lined up at the top of a bookshelf on one side of the room, and many books beneath them. His desk was covered in papers and pencils along with a little bag of the trail mix snack. Though his immediate response was a whispered "messy, messy, messy" it was a good sort of messy to him. It was the first instance where he liked the messiness of the boy…it was somewhat endearing?...hm…yeah, it was endearing though he denied the idea to some extent. He carefully looked around the room before making eye contact with a sheepish looking Kevin. He stepped closer to the other and lightly pulled down the rim of the quiz bowl cap "It's not that bad" he spoke out softly with a half-smile.

Ed had longed since finished making his buttered toast, and was now standing at the door of Kevin's room with a piece of toast in each hand watching the two interact with interest. Only very few instances had he ever seen Eddward act with such caution and gentleness and that was so very long ago. So, he found it very peculiar that he was doing the same with the ginger boy. He questioned if Eddward felt remorse…

"Alright, sit down and let me get the kit" Kevin said turning around and walking out into the small hallway.

Ed entered the room with a questioning look directed at Eddward, who took a seat on the bed. He could tell the raven haired teen was fighting an urge to fold the clothes and make the bed, so to irritate the other further he climbed onto the bed as well and obnoxiously ate his toast getting the crumbs on the bed. This got the teen to stare at him with an irritated glare "Have some decency for once man, this isn't your bed" he said

As he heard the other spoke he finished his last piece of toast and grinned at the other "All done, Double D"

"Fucking… big shit…" Eddward grumbled cruses under his breath as he was _still_ highly annoyed the brunette was calling him by that dreaded nickname.

Kevin entered the room giggling at the grumpy Eddward "Why do you call him Double D?" He asked curiously.

Ed spoke before the other could the other could say a nothing "Because he's a HUGH Dick" he chuckled out.

"…Childish as ever I see" the raven haired teen turned to lightly punch Ed's shoulder "it's...it's an old childhood nickname because of the two d's in my name...though, I don't go by that anymore" he quietly added.

The ginger shooed the tallest one off the bed and took his spot as he placed the tiny kit on the bed and took out some cotton and a small bottle of alcohol as he heard the response from the swimmer. It looked like there was a small cut next to his left eye where he's black eye was rapidly forming, and his nose had stopped bleeding and was now dry. Kevin hummed in response not thinking too much on the matter as he sat closer to the swimmer and patted clean the cut with the wet cotton ball. "It's a shame" he mumbled "I think it's a choice name" he smiled.

Again, Ed sat quietly observing as he spun on Kevin's computer chair. He was beginning to get a weird feeling as he watched the two. He was always good at that, reading between the lines that is...it was one of his best skills. He kept quiet to himself observing Eddward as he patiently sat waiting for the ginger to finish. It was a very odd scene to him; Eddward was never one for receiving help. Though, a lot about tonight was seemingly odd to him. The fact that the ginger had dared to drive Double D's car was astounding, because as far back as he had known the raven haired, he had never let anyone touch his property. Yet, the swimmer sat calmly looking down at the ground...it seemed as if they were used to this kind of act.

Kevin lightly touched the swimmers back watching as the teen winced a little "leave it" Eddward said shrugging off the freckled hand.

"Alright" he sighed and sat back leaning against the headboard "so what the hell was that all about?" He began his questioning.

"Hm mm, Imma leave that for you DD" Ed smirked getting up and quickly heading to walk out the room.

"Wait!" Kevin yelled after the brunette "Hey! You got a lot of explaining to do also! Ed!" He chased after the teen out the room who was headed downstairs. Kevin pulled at the teens arm to try and stop him "Dude what the hell, you can't avoid it" he said annoyed.

Ed turned around with a small smile "Kevin, let him explain it at his own pace ok? By the looks of it he's starting to open up to you…" he trailed off for a second as if in thought "it's weird…But anyways, he won't do that if I'm in there" he gestured towards the room.

"Why?" The ginger asked highly confused. How could he have known that about Eddward?

Ed just patted his shoulder "I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'll be in the living room watching tv in the meantime. Want me to order Chinese?"

Kevin puffed annoyed "fine, and yes please" he said and watched the teen walk downstairs. He stayed out in the hallway questioning the brunette and the weird relation between the two Ed's. Then, he turned back and slowly reentered the room closing the door behind him. The raven haired teen remained sitting on the bed looking irritated probably from Ed. "So, are _you_ going to tell me?" He asked as he took a seat on his computer chair and slouched down.

Eddward looked up and Kevin saw how suddenly his dark ocean eyes became very focused on something. The swimmer stood up and walked over to the ginger making him jump a bit, from the sudden reaction. He walked in an intimidating manner and some old fears began to creep in feeling Deja vu. The swimmer reached down and grabbed him by the arm and bent down observing it. "W-what are you doing?" he asked a bit afraid.

He saw the swimmers face darken a bit as he observed his arm "you're bleeding" he stated.

"What?" He looked at his arm and saw it was slightly scraped but was nonetheless bleeding a little. How had he not noticed this entire time?

Breathing out Eddward turned back to grab the kit and clean the small wound. Kevin knew that this was some excuse to avoid answering anything, but there was no avoiding it any further. Though, he let the raven haired clean the wound for he remembered Ed telling him to let the teen speak at his own pace.

After some minutes, Eddward stepped back and observed the ginger sitting on the chair looking for any more injuries. Kevin stared back starting to feel a bit embarrassed as he was being carefully examined by the other causing him to shrink into the chair as his face became a tad warmer. Letting an angry mumble under his breath the swimmer turned back and took a seat on the bed and looked down at his hands before interlacing them together. His gaze lifted just enough to see the converse the ginger wore and noticed the boy lightly swung them back and forth in a nervous manner. He sucked in a breath making him feel like being suffocated…what was he supposed to say? _How_ much was safe to disclose to the freckled boy patiently waiting for his response? He decided to start with something he knew Kevin was going to find out no matter what… "We…" he started feeling his voice get caught midway "…used to be friends…" the last part made his throat become unbearably dry.

"Who?" Kevin asked a bit confused about who the teen was referring to.

Eddward licked his lips slowly looking to the side in thought "…Ed…and I"

Kevin's olive eyes grew wide in shock and found himself speechless as more questions screams through his head "Wait, seriously?" he saw the other nod but made no eye contact with him "Is that why he calls you Double D?" Eddward gave another nod "So, what happened?" he asked cautiously.

He noticed something change completely in the teen, though he was not touching him it felt as if his entire being had become cold. His olive skin paled to some degree, his body tensed forming fists, and his blue eyes became a cloudy grey as if eliciting an unwelcomed memory. "It really doesn't matter…" he spoke firmly "Just know we are no longer acquainted"

"Ok…" Kevin said a bit disappointed but respected the guy's personal matters. "Ok so um, what does that have to do with those guys at your house and why was Ed there if you two don't talk?" he criss crossed his legs on the chair straightening his back.

"He can personally tell you the reason why he was there" Eddward looked annoyed to some extend now "I'm sure he has told you some details about the party already…" he quickly glanced up towards the ginger.

Kevin's mind now screamed with the urge to ask why he had lied and every other question he was mentally preparing on the way to the other's house. He nodded slowly trying to quiet down his mind and pray the other would tell him without him asking.

Eddward looked back down past his hands to the carpet as if he wished to sink into it and never surface once again. He hated the current situation of being interrogated… he hated that the boy kept putting him in this kind of situation…who was he to question him? Though, he mostly hated that he was collaborating on this shit...What happened to lone wolf Eddward Vincent? The guy no one dared to approach. It was like every day he spent with this boy the more his tyrant persona began to tumble down…How many instances has this boy seen of him breaking down…of his vulnerability? Far too many…Why was he letting this boy rip him open like this? "…Well, when Ed showed up he ended up causing a lot of…commotion." His eyebrows frowned in thought "Honestly I don't know what he was thinking he's a big guy and was inevitably going to get spotted."

Kevin felt some of his anger rise up again "I'll tell you what he was thinking. He wanted to save those poor kids from being tormented as if they were disposable toys" he grumbled out.

The swimmer once again looked a bit tense and closed off. His gaze now moving to the open window seeing the sun still very much bright, he wondered what time it was. "Why did you lie to me?" his attention was caught once again as he heard the freckled teen question him.

He let out a small laugh "This was what you were planning when you asked me if you could come over, right? Question me" he stated a bit amused.

Kevin unfolded his legs annoyed, how could he not question him? "Well, you're making it sound as if you took part in it, I wouldn't be surprised…" he crossed his arms "How can you sleep at night" he muttered out.

"I don't" Eddward firmly stated now for the first time looking directly at Kevin with a serious face though he hinted some repentance as his eyes wavered steadily.

Kevin's anger seemed to shrink down as he stared back trying to read the other's emotions "…So you did do it…?" he asked a bit numbly as a feeling of nausea beginning to swirl in his stomach.

"No" he said looking away again "I said the truth when I told you that I got there later and didn't see much but that doesn't mean I didn't know about it…about 30 minutes after I got there was when Ed arrived" he paused a moment hearing the other slouch on the chair once again as if in relief "The guy that obligated me to attend, simply wants pay back and that's why he sent Trevor"

"But, why you? I mean, you're part of his gang or whatever right? So, why did those guys attack you? Why did the guy say _He_ , whoever it is, was going to end you?" Kevin asked far more curious in this subject now, what kind of hierarchical system did these bullies have? How did Eddward get mixed up in it? What did ending someone even _mean_?

Eddward sighed tiredly rubbing at the back of his neck as his tongue licked at his bottom lip nervously "That's a different matter" he spoke softly.

Kevin quirked an eyebrow, of course it wasn't a different matter, he was just avoiding the question. He noticed that the teen was becoming edgy by the second…he was closing up again. Just what was it? He wondered "Blackmail?" the ginger mumbled in thought "Is this guy black mailing you?" he asked with a higher voice.

"GUYS FOOD'S HERE!" They both jumped at the sudden yell from downstairs.

They stared at one another in shocked silence with wide eyes… it had seem as if Kevin had hit the nail on the head. However, before Kevin could ask again the raven haired teen stood up "I should leave"

"What, no!" Kevin stood up quickly pushing the chair back a bit "You can't!" he said panicking. Eddward looked at him with raised eyebrows that made Kevin feel embarrassed again. "I-I mean, what if those guys are still at your place? What if the police are there too?"

"I highly doubt it" the other said glancing back to see Kevin's clock on the nightstand.

"J-Just stay here tonight, just to be safe…" he said sheepishly "my dad won't even know he leaves hella early in the morning, he'll think the car is Ed's" he looked up to the other looking for a response.

"GUYS IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN IMMA EAT EVERYTHING!" they heard the other call once again.

The swimmer sighed in defeat…something about the ginger's worried expression and panic voice made it hard for him to disagree "He's telling the truth, you know"

Kevin's worry diminished in an instant and was replaced with a lopsided smile "I know, once we ordered pizza and in the short second I went to wash my hands he had eaten half of it" he laughed out "I had to order another one!"

Eddward let out a small chuckle following the freckled boy out room… _Brings back memories_ he thought.

…

Kevin lay wide awake facing the side that had his bookshelf and some posters hanging crookedly on the wall. He could feel the other boy who seemed to be sound asleep pressed against him. His bed was much smaller than the one the raven haired teen possessed, so they were a bit cramped but…it wasn't like they hadn't slept like…this before…Kevin could feel his face become much hotter at the thought. Why was it that he was feeling embarrassed? In fact, it was he that had insisted on having the raven haired teen sleep with him, while Ed slept in the guest room knowing his father wouldn't walk into his room if there were friends over. He breathed out steadily trying not to reveal he was awake…it looked like it wouldn't be sleeping tonight again…he wondered if the teen's back was hurting from the bruise possibly being pressed. Eddward hadn't complained the rest of the afternoon after they had gone down to eat, but Kevin would notice how the other moved his shoulder in slow steady circles as if trying to stretch the muscles. He had badly wanted to raise the swimmers shirt to inspect the injury but didn't dare to actually do it.

He tried moving away a fraction so his back wasn't leaning against the others which caused him to nearly fall of the bed. Then he heard an old rumbling of his father's truck pull up, and moments later enter the house. Tired footsteps made their way steadily up the stairs and he felt the others body tense up like a rock… so he was also awake. Kevin wasn't worried however he had sent his father a message letting him know Ed would be sleeping over and not to freak out about the extravagant car parked outside their home, of course skipping the part about Eddward staying as well.

They heard the man make his way to the restroom and turn on the shower. Only then did he feel Eddward's body relax, and a slow breath was let out. Kevin closed his eyes attempting to sleep but his mind kept coming back to earlier questions of what had happened in Eddward's past? Why had Ed and Eddward ended their friendship? It was obvious it was something big based on the swimmer's reaction, but the tall brunette didn't seem like someone to do anything bad…was he one of those people Eddward had mentioned that had betrayed his trust? _God stuff just keeps on accumulating_ he thought focusing on the steady breathing of the other and the light breeze running through the trees.

…

* * *

 ** _I hope this chapter turned out alright, i'm terrible at writing action packed scenes, so i apologize for the bad fight scene lol We will be getting Ed's perspective in the next chapter :3_**

 _ _ **Ok with that please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels (Tell me what are your thoughts are on Ed and Eddwards relationship? I hope you guys don't mind that i changed Ed's persona to be a bit more mature kinda need him to be lol)**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's see what happens next!**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	30. Chapter 30

**_Story Time!_**

 ** _Play M83-Wait for the second part of this chapter_**

* * *

The morning warmth was beginning to irritate his skin...it made him sweat and if there was anything he hated most, it was being dirty. He ever so slowly kicked the covers from his lower body as he began to awaken from his slumber, which wasn't very hard to do considering he was awake for most of the night. His tired eyes opened to see a faint blue sky beginning to rise against murky purple from the opened window. The room was fairly quiet only hearing some chirping from a distance, and soft breathing against his back that soothed him. He let out a sigh afraid of turning and waking the one behind him so he stayed still simply acknowledging the gentle presence as the sleeping boy leaning against him. The additional warmth was unusually welcomed though…he secretly enjoyed the amiable touch of another human being, though he would never admit that out loud. The raven haired teen could feel small fingers lightly grab at his shirt from behind, which made him wonder what the red headed had been dreaming about, or was it a habit?

His thoughts were interrupted when he hear lazy footsteps moving about the small hall, it was most likely Kevin's father. Eddward tensed up and sunk into the bed as he focused on not making any sounds possible that would lure the man to come inside. He heard the tired steps make it way down the hall to what was most likely the bathroom. His mind began to devise a plan and possible outcomes if he were to quickly leave at this moment, before Kevin's father came out. Though there were too many if's and he decided it was better to wait for the man to leave first. So he waited…

He's mind engrossed in the hope that the little ginger had locked the door or that the man wouldn't come to check on his son. Through all the thinking he swore he was beginning to have a headache, he thought too much. How could the small teen sleep so soundly?

As he waited he observed the room he was currently residing carefully. He noticed small things that he hadn't before, like the crookedness of award frames and little nails dropped on the floor. He saw that the closet door was open enough for him to clearly see the boy's clothing inside, all messily folded and hung. To his surprised the kid had a lot of sporty clothing's, and jackets ones that he knew for sure the teen never wore. Why was he always wearing the same thing? Simply sinking into his oversized sweaters and making him look smaller than he was. He saw journals and books in a corner slumped over one another, one in particular was opened to reveal sketches of robot deigns most likely for his robotics club.

The raven haired teen felt slight movement from behind and stopped his observations to analyze the motions. He felt the grip on his shirt tighten and the boy turn his head to face him now, his freckled nose faintly grazing his back. The teen then began to feel slightly uncomfortable, though he had been in more…uh, shall we say close situations with the teen (one in which the boy literally slept on top of him), they had all been while he himself was sound asleep as well. Though he ravished the nearness of the other, at that moment it had been far too weird because he was currently wide awake and are how close they were. The closeness was not something that was considered too friendly in terms of whatever they were. He knew that no way in hell would Kevin Barr ever approach him this near willingly had he been awake and fully conscious.

After a couple of minutes he heard movement once again, the footsteps had come to a stop at the door to Kevin's room and the swimmer turned his closed his eyes quickly deciding over an escape plan. When the footsteps then proceeded to make their way down stairs he opened his eyes again and breathed in. Only when he heard a closed door and the rumbling of a truck did he relax and let his head descend into the pillow.

It smelled like Kevin…

Not that strong cologne the ginger sometimes wore when he was going to a competition or simply had something important to attend. It smelled like his natural sense, the one that always clung to him when they were this close. It was of a faint fruity smell that gave him the tendency to remind him of summer, palm trees and a morning breeze by the beach. It was refreshing.

Ever so carefully he lifted himself up and pulled Kevin's hands away. He looked back down to see the sleeping teen and saw a small frown form on his pink thin lips…maybe the boy was simply clingy when asleep…well, he certainly seemed to be…not that the swimmer was complaining…weirdly enough…

He ripped his stare away and proceeded to dress, as Kevin had given him a spare of pajama pants that had belonged to the teen's father. He folded the clothing neatly and placed them at the foot of the bed then looked up and remembered that the freckled boy had a mountain of clothes that he had to remove from the bed and place on top on his computer chair. The swimmer intently stared at the pile contemplating if he should give in to his OCD of ignore it. Finally after much debate he grabbed a shirt and began folding the rest neatly, the ginger would thank him.

Finally, with one last look at the peacefully sleeping teen he grabbed his pair of shoes and headed down stairs trying to be quiet. As he headed down the stairs he heard faint chewing from the kitchen and froze his eyes looking directly into the room only to make eye contact with joyful brown eyes.

"I see you slept well D" Ed greeted him as he munched on a piece of toast at the table.

Of course, the teen was being sarcastic as Eddward had huge dark bags under his eyes and stared back with a frown. "I'm leaving" he stated and turned to make his way out.

"Wait!" Ed called after stuffing his mouth with the rest of the toast and rushed after the raven-haired teen.

Eddward sighed annoyed and turned with a deeper frown "What?"

Ed's smile had left and was now looking down at the ground in thought "…I'm sorry…" he whispered out.

The raven haired rose an eyebrow "…what?" he repeated in a calmer tone.

The big guy scratched at his head awkwardly now meeting the other in the eyes "I said…I said I'm sorry"

Eddward lowered his eyebrows now "You…You have the fucking balls to apologize after nearly 3 fucking years?" he raised his voice slightly in anger but calmed himself in consideration for the only goodhearted person in that house. He shook his head "and here you were just yesterday talking all high and mighty" he crossed his arms.

The brunette sighed placing his hands in his pockets and slumped his shoulders "I just..."

"You just what? Wanted to rid of your guilt by villainizing me? Pretend to act like what you did was a good thing in the long run?" Eddward stared up at the other angrily snippets of old memories flashing through the back of his mind. The other simply looked down frowning unsure of what do to or what to say. "I'm leaving"

"I just didn't want him to get involved... I didn't want..." Ed looked up to meet the Raven haired in the eyes both knowing exactly what he was going to say.

Eddward turned and opened the door "don't worry, not ever happening" he spoke out

"Hey, I know it's late but I really mean it ok?" The taller boy said out feeling ashamed of himself. He knew Double D deserved the apology long ago perhaps that would have stopped him from joining Sam. Perhaps they wouldn't be in this situation.

"What ever helps you sleep at night" the swimmer said then closed the door behind him.

Ed felt horrified of himself. What kind of person was he? Who did he think he was to wait so long? Had it not been for the events last night he might not have ever apologized to Eddward. He was one of the few people who _knew_ the teen, he knew his faults and the stressful complicated life D's bastard parents have left him in alone. Oh, how their situation would have been different had he stayed that night, had he helped the Raven haired teen and not ran away with Eddy...

"Did he leave?"

The tall brunette turned to look up and saw little Kevin at the top of the stairs sleepily rubbing at his eyes, "yeah, you just missed him" Ed smiled softly.

Kevin seemed to have frowned disheartened by the words "hm should have stayed a little longer...ass" he mumbled as he headed down stairs making the taller teen chuckle.

Kevin headed straight into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl of cereal and poured himself a glass of juice staying a seat by the brunette at the table. "Alright spill it" he said through a mouth full of cereal.

Ed slumped down in his chair chuckling at the gingers curiosity "alright alright I'll talk" he rose his hands up in the air. Then sat up straight looking directly at the boy "I just have to make this clear... _Don't_ say anything at all to Double D ok? I never told you anything and I'm going to leave one thing out because it's not in my right to tell you, understand?"

Kevin nodded taking a sip of his juice trying not to show his curiosity heightened with the mystery.

Ed thought for a moment "where should I start...?"

"How did you guys become friends?" Kevin asked

Ed flipped through his memories recalling the first day he had met the Raven haired teen. "We had a friend in common, his name is Eddy, though we aren't friends anymore..." He looked over to the ginger who was paying attention with his ears perked up and eyes shining with interest. For a moment he remembered the way Kevin and Eddward interacted and his own curiosity peeked but placed that aside for the moment. "Um Eddy was the one who came up to Double D way back in 6th grade, we saw him sitting in the library reading and Eddy said 'the kids real smart, he'll be a great team player' then grabbed my hand and pulled right up to D."

"Was he always the same?" Kevin chuckled trying to imagine a young Eddward.

"Not really, he was quiet and a bit reserved but it was easier to talk to him and...he was still hopeful" Ed looked over to the other who frowned sadly at the last statement.

"Then do you know about-!" Kevin's wide eyes looked at the other completely enraged at the fact that Ed knew about Eddward's issues and hasn't done anything to help him.

"Parents?" Ed mumbled out "yeah"

"What no! I mean..." Kevin looked at the other seeing the brunette's eyes look at him in confusion then realized that Ed had no idea about Eddward's suicidal thoughts and attempts. "No, it's nothing" he tried backing out.

"About what, Kevin? Tell me" Ed lowered his eyebrows now knowing well that the ginger knew something he didn't.

Kevin thought for a moment wondering if he should or should not tell him about the issue. If he told him maybe Ed could make up with Eddward and provide him with a familiar friendship, one in which Eddward may feel more comfortable in. Kevin knew that where he and Eddward couldn't be called friends yet, he certainly didn't feel it and no way would the other. But he wasn't so sure of it was in his place to say anything...though he liked that idea that maybe Ed could help because he knew the brunette well enough to know that he would be willing if he knew. "I-i mean...he has tried to..." He didn't know how to finish the sentence in a way that didn't sound so sad and frowned at the thought "...kill himself..." he whispered out feeling chills run up his spine.

Ed stared at the other in horror as his skin became ghostly pale "what?" he crocked out.

Kevin simply stared back frowning "... I found him coincidently about four months ago about to jump off the bridge..." Kevin paused recalling that evening "I didn't know who it was at first but then I ran up and grabbed him and when I heard his voice I opened my eyes saw that it was him" the ginger looked up and saw Ed looking no better than he was "...I've been trying to help him somehow even if that mean simply keeping him company" he finished.

The brunette looked away in disgust with himself, what would have happened had Kevin not been there? How many times has he tried it? The one who should be helping the Raven haired teen should have been him because he knew him personally. How had things degraded so much in a span of three years? He had no idea that Eddward would drop so low to become suicidal...he felt guilty, he felt saddened, he and Eddy were part of the mountains of shit that had caused Eddward to have such negative thoughts. "I had no idea..." He whispered out disheartened "thank you for telling me" he spoke out and gave a small smile.

They were in silence for a long moment both reflecting on what had been said. "So what did you mean when you said he was still hopeful?" Kevin continued their previous conversation.

"Um... I meant his parent's situation" Ed took his mind off from Eddward and recalled back to what was being said "I'm sure you know they aren't ever home right?" Ed looked back regaining some of his color. He saw Kevin nod indicating him to continue "when we first met him, his parents had slowly been leaving him alone until eventually, it took them months to return" Ed sat up in his chair "he did everything they told him to do usually leaving sticky notes to communicate with him. He would pile up the sticky notes on a wall until he finished everything. Eventually there was no contact between the two... I don't know if they come to visit or whatever now but last time it had nearly been a year and it was only his father who dropped by" Ed sighed "when I said hopeful I meant his mother's return, he seems to have lost it"

Kevin couldn't help but feel some relativeness to the Raven haired because he had wished many times as a little boy that his mom would be alive and be like all lovely mothers should be. The only difference was that Eddward didn't have either parent "How'd it end? Eddward seems to kinda hate you" He commented a bit sheepishly from his observation the previous night as they had sat to eat and watch a movie.

"Here's the part I can't really say, but something happened which caused Eddy to distance himself away from Double D, it was something stupid thinking back on it but I never really had any say I just followed Eddy. Anyways, eventually Eddy got in a really bad fight with Double D and they were both yelling for me to help them, and I didn't really know what to do at the time. I just saw their bloodied faces and was terrified. I saw Double D suddenly pick up a rock and was about to hit Eddy with it and I jumped in and tackled him to the ground. He ended up hitting his head really hard against a boulder and went unconscious. I was disturbed of what I'd done… he was bleeding Kevin…" Ed looked up feeling more shameful than ever "What I didn't know was that Eddy was the one who had pulled out a pocket knife and was ready to use it." He went silent for a moment recalling the memory of that evening "Eddy grabbed my hand and we ran away…" Ed's skin color was beginning to pale once again as the emotions began to pour. He had escaped the truth for too long finding excuses to make his guilt wash away, at least that was how Eddy had taught him to deal with it "w-we ran away and left him bleeding out a-alone" he choked at his words. "And now he…" the brunette's mind echoed Kevin's words.

Kevin placed a hand on the others shoulder and gave him a soft smile "Hey, I'm sure if you explain it to him, he'll understand Ed"

The taller one shook his head "I doubt it…but I deserve it, I waited so long"

"Dude, you know Eddward far more than I do and that means that you know that although Eddward can be an ass he'll be secretly happy to have you back in his life"

"I already turned my back on him once…" Ed looked sadly

Kevin patted Ed's shoulder "Come on, he hated me enough to pick on me daily before and now I don't think he does" he smiled recalling all the good memories had shared with the raven haired thus far "Besides, he needs you now more than ever"

Ed gave the other a weary smile unsure of Kevin's words but he never that Eddward's deserved more than his apology. "I hope you're right"

Kevin sat back on the chair "Alright one more thing you need to answer me" he raised his eyebrows "what were you doing over at his place yesterday and why did those guys ambush you both?"

"That's two things" Ed chuckled. Kevin simply raised his eyebrows and so he began to answer his question once again "well, uh…" suddenly remembering his promise to Nazz he didn't know what to say "um…I was just…oh man please don't tell Nazz about this ok?"

"Nazz? What's she got to do with all this?" Kevin leaned against the table staring at the taller teen highly confused.

"Ok, Ok, so Nazz was worried about you hanging out with Double D cause of what happened before school ended. She asked me to look after you and make sure you don't involve yourself with him too much and at first I thought it was a good idea. I mean you don't know a lot of the stuff you'll need to watch out for, but maybe it's actually a good thing. Double D seems to be doing better with you around, he seems more tamed I guess" Ed chuckled out.

The ginger boy blushed a bit at the weird compliment and smiled "Yeah? Then, maybe Nazz will understand if she comes to know Eddward a bit better too" he wasn't mad at the girl knowing she was simply worried, and he wouldn't blame her for it.

"Maybe, but she doesn't know him like you and me" he winked "so it may take her some time to even _want_ to know Eddward and vice versa."

Kevin's face heated a bit more, must be that summer heat "it'll be fun if we can all hang out one day" he smiled.

Ed nodded smiling at the natural good heartedness of the ginger boy "As for the second question, well Double D helped me escape the party. Eddy was there and he was the one who wanted to rat me out to our big guy but Double D punched Eddy in the face and that's when hell broke loose and I ended up escaping safely. They simply came to teach us a lesson to never do that again" he laughed out "Though Double D was probably wanting to do that for a long time"

Kevin recalled the night he had rode over to Eddward's place and had found the guy drunk off his ass, covered in sweat and his wrists bleeding. Perhaps some old emotions had stirred up that evening once again from seeing the people he had once trusted. He hummed in response thinking about everything he had learned and now seemed to understand the raven haired teen a little better. Maybe he would pay him a small visit later that day.

For the rest of the morning Kevin and Ed played video games and came up with ideas to get Eddward to hang out with the two of them. It was around later in the afternoon that Ed had gone home leaving Kevin alone at home. So, Kevin grabbed his helmet and keys and headed out to see the teen in that cold white home in the west side of Peach Creek.

…

The teen had been sitting locked up in his room after he had gotten home from work and was beyond exhausted. Ms. Adams had shooed him home early to rest based on his beaten up self. She had worried so much when she saw him that she took him to the second floor where her home resided. She had taken a look at his injuries and hadn't asked him about them, she just quietly and gently looked after him. He had felt beyond uncomfortable but was grateful nonetheless for he didn't have the heart to reject the lady's kind gesture.

Now he lay on his bed trying to read a book but it seemed to be a bit difficult when one of his eyes was aching. Later into the quiet evening he heard knocking and tensed a bit thinking Sam might have sent more goons after him. He peeked out his window and saw a red motorcycle parked at the front and recognized it immediately.

The raven haired teen placed his book back on the shelf it belonged to and headed downstairs wondering what Kevin could possibly want today. When he opened the door the ginger was smiling cheekily up at him. "What are you so happy about?"

"You lied to me again" he said and stepped inside with a hop in his step

"What are you talking about?" Eddward questioned closing the door and turning to face the other confused.

Kevin had his hands as his sides "You didn't tell me the reason why those guys were after you" Eddward stared back in silence wondering where the boy was going with this. "You didn't tell me that you picked a fight to help Ed escape the party" he smiled widely.

"That's not lying, I just didn't tell you the whole truth" the swimmer face heated up a bit wondering what the other had told Kevin.

"Still lying to me" the ginger chuckled out, his bright joyful eyes seeing Eddward in a new light.

"You came all this way just for that?" the swimmer asked baffled at the teens cheery behavior.

Kevin shrugged his smile still strong knocking his head slightly to the side. "Maybe" He internally admitted he was feeling a bit playful.

Eddward sighed through his nose and walked over to the other placing a hand on his head and ruffling his ginger hair lightheartedly. He noticed the teen's hair was getting pretty long almost evening out his awkward bangs. "Come on then" he led the boy to the back yard.

Kevin and his slightly flushed face followed behind now feeling a bit shy from the friendly touch. "What you got in mind?" he asked as he stepped outside.

"Since you're so full of energy you can help me organize the yard." He looked down smirking at the ginger who only laughing.

"Sounds fun" Kevin chuckled out

"Really?" Eddward quirked an eyebrow astonished at the gingers willingness.

"Yup" Kevin smiled widely at the other.

"Alright then" the swimmer led them to the garage to grab some cools to pull out weeds and cut the grass.

The afternoon was spent in peace and laughter as Kevin was terrible as cutting grass and ended up getting a lecture on the proper way of using the tools. He had laughed endlessly after the raven haired teen was finished but thanks to the lecture was actually able to do it right. They shared Ms. Adams cold tea as refreshment and made small talk as they sat on the back porch steps.

Eventually, Kevin left feeling satisfied and a little closer to the raven haired. He giggled remembering the lecture he had received as he drove to his home. He had been happy doing even absolutely nothing if it meant being in his company, and hopefully Eddward and Ed would make up one day. He knew the raven-haired teen needed someone who understood him in a way that Kevin wouldn't be able to.

As he turned down his neighborhood he saw his dad's truck parked outside and an unknown car parked right behind it. It didn't look like any of his friends or coworkers that usually came to visit. He parked his motorcycle next to his dad's truck and hanged his helmet on the handle. He then heard shouting from the back yard; his father seemed enraged at whoever this person was.

"YOU ABANDONED YOUR SON!"

Kevin stopped in his tracks and listened intently at the argument wondering if he should step in or leave the two to argue alone.

"YOU KNEW I WASN'T READY TO BE A MOTHER TOM! WHY WON'T YOU LET ME SEE HIM?"

Kevin's eyes widened at the yell of a woman and he slowly approached carefully. He peeked around the corner and could make out a middle-aged woman; she was a petite lady, with short wavy rosy gold hair. She wore simplistic clothing composed of jeans and v neck shirt with a peach colored cardigan that complimented her pink flushed pale skin perfectly. Her face was heavily freckled making her look younger and her soft green eyes in tears. She was a very pretty woman, he wondered who she was.

Before he knew it the women had made eye contact with him and her crying ceased for a moment before she began sobbing again "Oh my goodness…" she cried out covering her mouth with her hands "K-Kevin?"

Kevin turned to face his father for clarification but the man simply stood looking at the scene in pure horror "Dad, who is she?" he questioned feeling his heart pump a little harder and his breathing picking up speed.

"Kevin dear, I'm your mother"

…

* * *

 _ **Eey...**_

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, i enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's see what happens next!**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**Short chapter...**_

* * *

If there was something Eddward Vincent had learned from his time of interaction with the ginger boy was that he needed to think before he said anything especially if it was about comforting of sorts for that was definitely not his forte. And as he laid his eyes on tear stained freckled face he reminded himself of this lesson, for the boy standing at his door step at 10 in the evening was fragile and it seemed that anything would break him if he wasn't careful with his words. It was only about two hours ago that the teen had left his house more cheery than he had ever seen him and now... Just what had happened to make the teen cry with such sadness?

"Kevin?..."

.

.

.

YOU ABANDONED YOUR SON!"

Kevin stopped in his tracks and listened intently at the argument wondering if he should step in or leave the two to argue alone.

"YOU KNEW I WASN'T READY TO BE A MOTHER TOM! WHY WON'T YOU LET ME SEE HIM?"

"YOU DON'T DESERVE TO SEE HIM!"

"I WANT TO SEE HIM, HE'S MY SON!"

"NO! HE'S _MY SON._ IM THE ONE WHO RAISED HIM! IM THE ONE WHO HAS PROVIDED FOR HIM, THE ONE TO CARE FOR HIM! _"_

Kevin's eyes widened at the yell of a woman and he slowly approached carefully. He peeked around the corner and could make out a middle-aged woman. Before he knew it the women had made eye contact with him and her crying ceased for a moment before she began sobbing again "Oh my goodness…" she cried out covering her mouth with her hands "K-Kevin?"

Kevin turned to face his father for clarification but the man simply stood looking at the scene in pure horror "Dad, who is she?" he questioned feeling his heart pump a little harder and his breathing picking up speed.

"Kevin dear, I'm your mother"

… _What... What did she say?_ He thought looking at the women like she was crazy "what are you talking about? My mom's dead"

"You told him I was _dead"_ the women looked back to Kevin's father in utter disgust. "How dare you-"

"What did you want me to tell him? That his mother left him because she didn't want him?" The man bit back angrily. "Kevin get inside in the house"

The ginger boy stood with wide eyes staring at his father as his brain slowly processed the situation at hand. He was beginning to feel his entire body tremble and his heart beat a hundred times faster, it hurt. He saw the angered expression on his father's tired face which let him know that he had to obey the man, but his legs wouldn't move. He wanted to say something but he couldn't find his voice.

"Come with me honey" the woman spoke out as she grabbed Kevin by the arm gently.

Kevin ripped his arm away from the woman "I don't know who you are, my mother's dead" he stated once again. He took a step back away from the scene eyeing his father in confusion "Dad tell her she's crazy...y-you told me she's dead..." He choked out watching as his father's face was engulfed in conflict unable to say words.

"Kevin, please let me talk" the women looked at Kevin with a hurt expression "I'm here for you"

"You were never here when he needed a mother! Now you think you can just walk right into his life and claim that title?" Kevin's father roared from anger not daring to look at his son in the eyes.

"We were young Tom! I was flooded with family problems and having a baby was beyond overwhelming for me" she turned as her weeping returned once again. "I wouldn't have been able to be the mother our son deserved"

"You would have been able to get through it Liz...I would have been there for you every step of the way" Kevin father face turned grim his attention fully on his ex and forgotten little Kevin standing a few feet away "but you said it yourself the baby would only be a burden"

"TOM!" Lizzy yelled "I...I c-can't get pregnant again..." She sobbed as if her words broke her completely "I've tried, but I c-can't...Kevin is my only child" she turned to where the boy once stood only to realize that he no longer was there.

"KEVIN!" They both yelled hearing a roaring engine come to life.

It was at this point that Kevin panicked, unable to think thoroughly and chest aching painfully so. What the fuck had just happened? He still wasn't sure, the truth of the situation processed into his mind far too sluggishly and he rejected it utterly. He would not hide in his room for he would have to face hearing the two argue aloud and doing that was the last thing he wanted to do. Why had his father lied to him? Make him believe this woman was dead when she most definitely was not. Why had yet another person in his life lied to him _again!_ Why the fuck was he so gullible? Why was it so easy for people to lie to his face? He was so sick and tired of it...so he rode off without a destination and just drove and drove until he reached a familiar white home.

He sat on his motorcycle a moment breathing heavily playing the scene back in his head and his father's words ringed in the back of his head _"What did you want me to tell him? That his mother left him because she didn't want him?"_ A tear dropped down his freckled cheek leading the path for the rest to come tumbling down. How could a mother not want her child? How could she run away and leave him like that? Why had she not thought of the consequences, had she even had a clue what Kevin had felt like when he'd see his elementary school companions being kissed and hugged by their mothers? Or that he had to miss out on the biggest dance in elementary because it was a mother and child dance. Had she no clue of all the times he had wished to be engulfed in her tender embrace as he woke up from nightmares. Instead he'd get a pat on the head and told that men don't cry. So he had stopped crying in front of his father.

How could she call herself his mother?

How could he have been lied to again?

How could a parent not want their child?

He was unwanted...

He knocked rapidly on the white door and stood there waiting for a response unable to cease his crying. Quite honestly he wasn't very conscious of his actions at the moment all he knew was that he wanted to hide his pathetic state from the outside world and curl up. His breathing was beginning to ache, his body shivering despite the still warm temperature, and a headache was developing painfully fast. He wasn't fully aware that for some reason he had unconsciously made his way to the Raven haired teen until he met ocean eyes stare back at him in utter concern.

"Kevin?..."

He heard the other whisper out and all that little Kevin could do was stare back in silence unmindful that his tears flooded his face completely. He tried to say something up nothing would come out; words seemed to be stuck in his throat choking him. He was grabbed gently by the arm and taken inside to sit in the living room he knew so well. He stared forward and closed his eyes feeling his headache begin to pound against his skull.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Eddward asked kneeling down in front of the boy as he observed for any injuries "Did Trevor come after you?"

He opened his eyes to stare at those wonderful crystal orbs, he shook his head lazily though his frown deepened. Shouldn't it had been his mother the one to ask him these questions? How many times had Kevin arrived home crying after a horrible day of getting physically and verbally crushed? Yet she wasn't there, never there. He had been deceived and made to believe that this woman was watching over him from the heavens above...she wasn't even doing that. Never a thought in mind of all the suffering her son was going through...imposed by the teen kneeling in front of him.

How ironic...

As he looked at the other he noticed the uncomfortable sate the other was in, as if he wasn't sure of what to do at the moment, the swimmers slender fingers lightly tugged at his pants. All the smaller teen wanted was to be enveloped in a reassuring embrace as he had been about a month ago. Had the Raven haired teen reached his arms out to him in the moment, Kevin would have submissively leaned in gratefully, Kevin would have sobbed harder and Kevin would have spilled all his anger out. Instead he tipped his hat a little to cover his face "I'm sorry...I-I don't even know w-why I'm here..." He mumbled standing up and rubbing his eyes.

The swimmer stood as the other did and stared down confused of what had hurt the ginger teen so much as to make him cry. "Kevin" he called out watching as the teen moved closer to the entrance.

"I should go...I'm sorry I bothered you" Kevin said, his head bowed down and shifting closer to the door.

Eddward noticed the trembling freckled hands, he noticed the fidgeting of his fingers on the rim of his hat, and he noticed the wild eyes that stared down onto nothing in particular. Something wasn't right that much was obvious to anyone, but the other wouldn't say. Why was he being so closed off? He reached to grab the teen by the arm pulling him away from the door "Kevin...tell me what happened" he breathed out calmly trying to soothe the little teen into talking.

Kevin inhaled and exhaled slowly trying to calm himself down but his headache was only worsening, pounding onto his skull trying to escape from its restriction. "...I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'm going home"

"I'd be stupid to let you drive at night in your state" Eddward gripped the arm a little tighter "It's a miracle you got here in one piece."

The ginger boy tried his best not to lean into the hold, but he couldn't help it "I'll be fine" he stated.

"Bullshit" Eddward was beginning to become a bit irritated that the teen was not telling him anything.

"I'm going" Kevin jerked his arm away

"No, you're not" Eddward reached behind Kevin to close the door, trapping the smaller teen between his body and the door "you're going to get yourself in a crash like this"

It was funny how he cared now, huh… like he disregarded the fact that 3 months ago Eddward didn't give a shit about if Kevin got home alive or dead "I don't fucking care! How many times do you think I rode my bike back home with a busted eye and sprained arm thanks to the likes of you and your fucking idiots?" Kevin stared back angrily now annoyed the swimmer wouldn't let him leave. God why had he thought it was a good idea to come here in the first place? Eddward wouldn't understand, actually he wouldn't probably care of his silly little family drama.

Eddward took his arm off the door, his eyebrows lowered and his expression darkened "why are you here then?"

Kevin stared back in silence unsure of what to say, why was he there? His breathing began to quicken and with an irritated huff he opened the door and left.

The swimmer leaned against the wall running a hand through his Raven locks feeling frustrated. Just what the hell did Kevin Barr want from him? He knew he shouldn't had let the ginger drive off but now he was to too angry and decided to let the teen do whatever the hell he wanted. The freckled boy was probably in a tantrum from whatever had caused his current state; he would be over it in the morning hopefully. Though Eddward couldn't help but feel a light pinch in his gut telling him that he should have forced the teen to stay and sleep his anger off. Just what had caused this to him?

...

Kevin far beyond frustrated drove at incredibly high speeds though the freeway going nowhere in particular. He decided that within an hour he would go home, hopefully by then he'd cool down. As he drove through the abandoned highway he felt his headache surging through his entire head, for an instant it was as if it was cutting of his oxygen. The cool, night air was no help at all instead it made him feel cold, it felt as if he was driving outside in the middle of winter. Why? It was freaking July? His fingers tingled, at times he would grip the handle too harsh and others too loose almost losing his balance and swaying dangerously. His breath quickened far too quickly periodically making the helmet become too suffocating. Once he couldn't handle it anymore he decided to go back home, praying to God the woman was gone and that his dad hadn't stayed up waiting for him.

He had decided to walk about a block before arriving to his neighborhood for various reasons. One, he was about to collapse from his severe headache that just wouldn't go away, two it was nearly eleven at night and three he didn't want his dad to hear him coming. When he arrived he saw that indeed the unfamiliar car was missing though the light from the kitchen was still on.

The boy debated heavily if he wanted to climb up the tree and enter his room through the window, though he knew he wouldn't be able to with his unsteady grip. So he prepared to make a run for it upstairs knowing his father must be in the living room waiting for his arrival. Kevin...well Kevin just wasn't ready to see his father at the moment, he didn't want any explanations, he didn't want any excuses, and he just didn't want to deal with anything. All he wanted was to sleep, he was awfully exhausted. Though, he knew he wouldn't get any with this headache, however, maybe if he took some painkillers it might go away...

He gripped his keys in hand and took a deep breath. Then rapidly opened the door and ran upstairs unaware if the man was there or not, unaware that his tired old man was sitting in the kitchen with a broken expression, unaware that his tired father was fighting his own necessity of letting out a tear.

As Kevin lay on his bed wide awake he tried to push every single thought, memory, idea out of his head and make space. His headache was beginning to really, _really_ hurt him, some tears escapes his eyes. His entire body now shivering, and his stomach turning in on itself causing him to have nausea. He couldn't wait any longer, he had wanted to wait for his father to go to sleep so he could go to the restroom where the painkillers were, but his headache was too severe, it was making him nearly choke.

With a pounding heartbeat he tried to make his way to the bathroom as quietly as possible, though he knew he most likely was wobbling. He locked the bathroom door and immediately began his search for the painkillers. With a shaky hand and a semi-blurry vision he took out two bottles, and looked up at himself in the mirror. God, he looked awful, his face was sweaty even though he felt cold. He stared at his freckled face...it was so similar to that women's now that he observed closely, the freckles, eyes, the same slender jaw.

 _"What did you want me to tell him? That his mother left him because she didn't want him?"_

 _"What did you want me to tell him? That his mother left him because she didn't want him?"_

 _"Tell him? That his mother left him because she didn't want him?"_

 _"His mother left him because she didn't want him?"_

 _"His mother didn't want him?"_

 _"She didn't want him"_

He was unwanted by the women who had given birth to him...only coming back because she couldn't have others, had it not been for that fact she wouldn't have ever came back. Not ever, not to even find out how he'd been, if he was still well and happy, if he was still living and breathing...she didn't want him...she didn't want him...she didn't want him...she didn't want him she didn't want him she didn't want shedidntwanthimshedidntwanthimshedidntwanthim

She didn't want him

The room swayed and his chest was incapable of inhaling, a surge of fear and panic submerged his body like a tsunami. It was all hurting, his head, his chest, and eyes. It was all suffocating, the room, his clothes, and mind. It was all painful and suffocating and he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe...he couldn't breathe

HE

COULDN'T

BREATHE

...

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though it's short_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels (Please leave down any questions you have about the story thus far, i just need to compile a list of any unanswered questions and concerns so i make sure i don't miss to answer them while i write further on lol)**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's see what happens to Kevin ( TT_TT)**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night xoxo**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**Oh God I'm terribly sorry for the long wait, and after the ending of the last chapter lol**_

 _ **I**_ _ **was overwhelmed with school work and thankfully I'm am now done.**_

 _ **So I'm happy to finally post the new chapter and hope you enjoy it.**_

* * *

...Incoming call: Nazz

.

.

.

Missed Call at 9:30am

...

New message 9:31am

Nazz: [Kevin, are you still asleep? Wake up sleepy head I got something to tell you! :3]

.

.

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New message 11:44 am

Nazz: [Dude what time did you go to sleep last night? Call me when you wake up]

.

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New message 3:23 pm

Nazz: [Kevin is everything alright? You're starting to worry me, why won't you answer?]

...

The tall brunette stared straight ahead with fearful eyes. His gaze moved up and saw the quiet white hall, there were various doors on each side, all with a number on them. Two women dress in scrubs walking around checking in from room to room, a young man in a wheelchair cheerfully speaking with an older woman at his side by the window down the hall. All he could hear were the beeping sounds of monitors and soft footsteps.

A click of a door opening caught his attention and he looked to his right watching as a bulky man stepped out. His expression was exhausted, though not from work, or physical, it was emotional exhaustion. The man looked up at him with sad brown eyes, his ginger hair a complete mess and his clothes from the night before utterly wrinkled. The tall teen could tell that the man had been crying, and had not slept at all.

"Thank you for coming Ed" he man's raspy voice spoke out.

Suddenly as if remembering why he was standing out in the long hall, he remembered that the Barr man had asked him to come over to stay with Kevin in case if he woke up, and in the meantime, the man would run to the house to change and grab food for them. "H-how's Kevin?" he asked.

Kevin's father gave him a small smile bringing out the wrinkles in his face "Doctor says he's going to be fine, just needs to take it easy"

Both stood out in that quiet, slightly eerie hallway in silence unsure of what to say in this unusual event that had happened. Ed still was confused why the ginger had overdosed on medications, Kevin's father had mentioned little over the phone and as he stood in front of the man he knew he wasn't going to get any answer either. So he left it alone.

"Go on inside, I'll be right back" Kevin's father patted Ed's shoulder lightly and headed down the hall.

Ed hesitantly opened the door and peeked inside. Kevin was in the middle of the room fast asleep with tiny tubes all over his body. The only sound was the heartbeat monitor, it was a steady beat. He walked over slowly and stood beside the boy looking down at him. What the hell happened?

He looked down at the phone on the small bedside table indicating him there was a new message. He read through the messages unable to answer for fear of how the blond girl was going to respond. What was he supposed to tell her? That he broke his promise of keeping the ginger boy safe? That he had left Kevin alone...

That he had failed someone once again...

A vibration in his hand caused him to jump startled by the touch, it was a message from…E? [Did you arrive home in one piece last night?]

Ed quirked an eyebrow confused about who the person on the other side of the phone was, and where had Kevin gone to last night? Wondering if this E person had anything to do with the reason the Kevin was now laying in the hospital bed. He looked up watching the teen sleeping blissfully though his expression was tired clearly having had an emotional night. He tried his hardest to think of the people that Kevin knew, and the ones that would most likely have his number. As he stared down at the simple message it came to his realization that E stood for Eddward.

Now what should he do? Message or call back? Tell the truth or tell a lie? Well, what would he be getting out of a lie anyways? Maybe just ignore it? Though who knew when the boy was going to wake up and Double D was going to find out one way or another anyways right... maybe he knew what happened?

And so he hesitantly pressed the call button unsure if the other was going to pick up. He stared down at Kevin as he waited feeling a bit scared and unsure of what to say. After a short couple of seconds, Eddward picked up. "Afternoon, I assume your tantrum is over?"

"H-Hey D…I-it's Ed" The brunette spoke quietly as he rubbed his sweaty hands on his worn out jeans.

Eddward had gone silent and Ed could practically see the irritated expression the teen must have on his face, had it been in a different situation he would have laughed. "I'm hanging up" the raven haired announced.

"WAIT! I-it's about Kevin" Ed panicked a moment tugging at the edge of his long shirt praying the other wouldn't hang up.

There was silence for a moment as if the other was thinking then he spoke "what is it?" some hesitance in the tone of his voice making Ed wonder of Double D truly had any clue as to the events of what had led to Kevin laying in that room.

"I saw your message, did you see him last night?" Ed asked

"Yes…Ed why do you have his phone?" The brunette was still slightly shocked to hear the caring and concerned tone his old friend spoke in. It had been a long time since he had heard Double D speak in that way and by his observations, there was clearly something growing between the two teens, be it friendship or a simple bond.

He sat down on the seat next to Kevin's bed, the heart monitor the only sound that could be heard in that small closed room "D I don't know what to say…" he paused looking over the ginger boy's body "s-something happened to Kevin, something bad" he whispered out the last bit.

The tall teen could practically see the worry from the swimmer through the hesitant breathing "Spit it out Ed" came out a dry voice.

Ed internally whined his saddened expression staring at Kevin's peaceful face and realizing had it not been for Mr. Barr's sudden action, Kevin Barr would most likely cease to exist. "He's in the hospital…" he whispered out.

That was the only thing he managed to get out before Eddward hanged up on him leaving him with startled eyes. He took the phone away from his ear and looked down at it seeing the red letters flash Call Ended on the screen.

…

"He's in the hospital…"

He knew it, he knew it, he fucking knew it!

Out of pure fear of hearing more from the brunette, Eddward hanged up immediately the voices in his head screaming out guilt and regret as his hand tightly gripped the phone. He clenched and unclenched his fists with anger at himself. He had clearly seen that Kevin was not alright the previous night. Clearly, the kid was going through some sort of anxiety from whatever it was that stirred him up and _he_ had let him leave knowing that this was a possible outcome. He had prayed it wouldn't have happened, that the teen would have arrived home safe and sound and he would have woken up the next morning to give him a call or anything at all. Anything to let the raven haired teen know that he had recovered and he had cleared his mind of anger.

But that was not the case

Kevin was in the hospital. How bad was it? He was too afraid to know, though now he wished it was something small like the teen had fallen of his bike and broken a small bone or scraped a knee. He wouldn't dare to think of anything worse. Heavily breathing he searched for his keys with only the thoughts of getting to the peach creek hospital heightened.

As he drove he forced his mind to go on blank so he could drive fast yet safely. It seemed for a moment as if his body was on autopilot, the surrounding sounds a muffled mess and sights blurry for his focus was to getting to his destination as fast as he could. The swimmer couldn't help but impatiently tap at the wheel and hiss every time he came to a stop or had to slow down because of a slow driver blocking his path.

He pulled his phone out as he arrived and park and dialed Kevin's phone hoping Ed was still there "Hello?" came a quiet voice from the brunette.

"Ed, what room is Kevin situated in?" he asked closing the door to his car and locking it, keys placed in his jeans back pocket.

"Oh um, 326 in the third floor I think" Ed answered and paused to think a moment "Are you here?" he asked curiously.

Before giving the brunette any answer Eddward hanged up once again as he entered the facility and headed straight to the elevator. Fortunately (though not so much really) he had been there a couple times in his younger years and still remembered where most of everything was. It was kind of weird though. The hospital hallways to the average person would look all alike, though to him they were very distinct. He'd remember roaming through the hallways at 5 years old with a paper air plane in his hand. He remembered the faces of old doctors that used to give him a lollipop or a sticker as he bumped into them, they now simply smiled and directed him a nod. He remembered running around in search for sticky notes his mother had placed around as he played treasure hunting. The price? His mother standing at the entrance of the hospital with her hand extended out for him to grab so they could go buy him a new book. The raven haired lowly growled irritated at the annoying memories that refused to leave him as he made his way to the second floor.

"Eddward?" a tired voice called out from behind.

He turned around to see a woman, most likely around her late 40's, with long dark hair pulled back neatly in a low ponytail, her dark skin beautifully complimenting her light eyes. Ah, yes he remembered her instantly. "Afternoon, Dr. Jones"

"I haven't seen you in so long Eddward, you've grown to be a very handsome young man" she smiled up at him.

"Uh, thank you" He answered beginning to feel very awkward with the interaction "if you'll please excuse me I'm here to see someone"

"Oh, if you're looking for your father, I believe he's doing a surgery at the moment" he placed a hand on her cheek in thought "I'm sure you could wait in his office if you liked"

He felt his fist clench tightly on instinct, the scars the hid under his sleeve painful burned at the mention of the man that was called his father "no ma'am I'm not searching for…father, I'm here for someone else"

"A friend? Well then I won't hold you back dear, I'll let your father know you were here" she smiled warmly.

"There's no need to bother him Dr. Jones, he is a very busy man" he gave her a nod and walked away heading to the elevator. A small panicked heart beat began to eat away at him as he realized his father was working there at the same time that he was there. Damn, he'd have to make his visit quick if he didn't want absolutely any chances of running into the man.

As he waited he began to lightly tap his leg with a finger as he thought about the many possibilities of Kevin's condition at the moment. Maybe he should have let Ed tell him, because if worse came to worse regret would eat at him faster than any parasite could. Then he froze for a moment as he though if Ed was the only one here with Kevin? Was Kevin's father there at the moment? His fist clenched a bit as he felt panicked thoughts flooding his head. Then again he began to think that perhaps the brunette wouldn't have called him when Kevin's father was present…maybe he should had let the other finish.

With more hesitant steps he made his way out and back into the hallway of the third floor. He looked at the room numbers reading them in his head. 305…310…314…319…324…326.

He stood looking steadily at the number on the door, his fist clenching and unclenching as he was unsure of what to do at the moment go in or just turn back now that he still had the chance. He held the phone in his hand tightly and breathed in a stutter as the idea that Kevin was on the other side of this hospital room began to pound at him. Kevin…in a hospital…

The raven haired finally stepped a bit closer and lightly knocked hoping to god that Ed was the only one there, or else he'd have to deal with the man that was Kevin's father. He looked away from the door in slight fear of who he was going to face and what he would see inside.

Fortunately for him, the tall brunette was the one to open the door with a bit of a shocked expression on his face. "Hey" he croaked out.

Eddward simply gave him a worried look unable to find his voice, thankfully his old friend knew him well enough to read the look and answered "He's fine, just asleep" he moved aside to direct the other to go inside.

With steady footsteps, he walked inside the room watching as the plain white room came into full view. The window on the opposite side of the wall lit the room with the sunlight, the small couch that sat under the window, the bedside table on the left, the bed next to that, and Kevin.

Kevin laid fast asleep on the bed, with tubes up his nose and a Pulse Oximeter clipped on his freckled finger. He was wearing a gown and half his body covered by the light bed sheet. Some relief was washed away as he saw no scratched or wounds on the boy's body, though his face looked slimmer and his skin color much paler than before.

He turned back to look at the taller teen unsure of anything at the moment "What happened?" he asked in a whisper as if any noise was going to wake the ginger boy.

"He…uh…" Ed swallowed some saliva feeling his throat dry rapidly "Nurse said he overdosed on some pain killers" he awkwardly lifted Kevin's cell phone "was hoping you knew something about it"

Eddward shook his head slowly as he turned back to see the sleeping teen "I would have thought his father would have told you" he spoke softly.

"No, he won't say much of anything" Ed placed his hands in his pockets and walked over to the small couch to sit down.

"Where is he?" Eddward made his way to stand next to Kevin's bed, noticing his freckles standing out more than ever.

The brunette leaned back on the couch observing the careful movements of the other who looked down at the teen. "He left to get some things at the house" it was still weird to see the interaction between the two. How had Kevin done it? How did he give the mighty shark enough humanity to care for him the way he did. It was clear enough how those blue eyes, once which possessed no life, now had a light of concern, fear and care.

For god's sake, the guy drove all the way here to see Kevin, to see if he was alright without knowing the condition the teen was in. It has most definitely been the most selfless that Ed has ever seen Eddward Vincent be, well at least in years. This alone was beyond proof that Eddward Vincent was worth saving and that Kevin truly had been right all along.

"Then I presume it shouldn't be long before he returns, correct?" Eddward looked up at Ed.

"I suppose" Ed stared back then took a breath "um, I'll go to the bathroom before you go" he said standing up. He received an unfocused nod from the other as he was now looking back down onto the ginger boy. The brunette watched one more time as he slowly opened the door then made his way out. He wondered if Kevin had any clue what power he held over Double D.

…

Eddward barely heard the door closing as his focused was on the boy underneath him. How peculiar this scene seemed. Never in a million years would he have imagined Kevin Barr in the hospital. It was as if Kevin didn't belong here, in this plain room, on this bed, in this state. He held every urge to rip those tubes from his face, because it just didn't make sense and it angered him. He should be the one in Kevin's place in all honestly.

What the hell was Kevin doing? One day yelling at him how it was not ok to be doing these things then he goes and does it, was he some hypocrite? How? Why? What had driven him to this? The roles should have been switched, Never Kevin, never him!

He took a seat on the chair breathing heavily. It should have never been Kevin, never in those beatings, never should he have abandoned him, never been in the middle of anything.

This kid deserved none of it…

 _Oh God…_ Eddward felt a huge rush of nausea and for a moment felt on the edge of hurling as the realization that there was a possibility that last night would have been the absolute last time he'd see this teen ever again. The thought was too painful, too scary…too real.

"Eddward…" he looked up immediately meeting tired and confused olive eyes. "Why are you crying?" The boy asked trying to sit up.

The rave haired teen stood gently pushing the other back down. "No reason" he spoke softly.

"Liar" Kevin pouted then turned to look at his surroundings sighing "Right…hospital" His frown deepened as he remembered where he was. "Wait, where's my dad? What are you even doing here?"

"Your father is out at the moment, left Ed here and he informed me of your condition" the taller teen finished a bit awkwardly taking his seat again.

"Oh…" Kevin looked down before clearing his throat awkwardly "I d-didn't meant to, ya know" he said uncomfortably.

Eddward looked up with saddened eyes "It's weird to hear this from you"

Kevin opened his mouth to speak the closed as if he couldn't find his voice. Then slowly he reached down to grab at the sleeve of the black jacket that the other wore wondering for a moment how in the hell was this guy able to wear warm clothing in the summer, it was a funny thought. "I didn't meant to, honest to god I didn't" he breathed out looking up at those wonderful crystal eyes.

"I believe you" Eddward whispered out giving a small squeezed to the freckled hand that was holding his jacket.

Feeling relief Kevin breathed in comfortably wrapping a finger around one of Eddward's "I had a really painful headache last night, I just wanted to make the pain go away but next thing I know I'm literally suffocating…Doc says I had a panic attack" he laughed a bit maliciously "and well here I am…"

Eddward sighed "you were fine just hours before…what caused this?"

Kevin frowned reaching the back of his neck with his free hand and lightly scratching at the freckled skin. "I think I was just overwhelmed with everything…over stressed…I don't know…" he whispered out with an angered expression.

"You're seriously not going to tell me?" Eddward raised an eyebrow.

The ginger teen looked up with worried eyes "I…I just haven't had time to think clearly yet. I don't really know what to say or how to feel" he moved his gaze how at their intertwined fingers and mentally took note how _comforting_ it felt, all he knew was that he never wanted to let go. "I just don't know…" Kevin frowned more thinking how pitiful and stupid he was.

A door clicked open and they quickly changed their attention to the door and awkwardly let go of each other's hand. Kevin could see Eddward tensed up completely until Ed appeared in sight. The brunette was overjoyed to see the boy awake "You're finally awake!" he smiled.

"Hey Ed" Kevin smiled back giving the tall teen a weak wave.

In the moment the raven haired teen stood up "Make sure to eat and get rest. I'll be taking my leave now" he felt Kevin grab at his sleeve once again with wide eyes. He looked back meeting the teen with those same wide eyes feeling as if the boy was secret telling him to stay. Though, as much as he wanted to stay by his side he really didn't want to face Kevin's father. He didn't have any right to face him, to be here, or be given the compassion Kevin gave him. He would be foolish to show his face after everything that he's done.

Kevin sheepishly looked away and let him go "Alright, um I should be out by tomorrow morning"

Eddward gave the freckled teen a soft reassuring smile "good" he said in a low calm voice. He turned to Ed and gave him a small nod towards the door directing the taller teen to follow him out.

Ed did so, and they closed the door behind them. "What's up Double D?" he asked

Eddward looked down the hall observing the passing nurses "Thank you for telling me"

The brunette smiled and gave him a nod "He could really use our support now more than ever"

"Yeah…" Eddward shifted "Keep me informed…please…you know what number to call" he quickly pointed to Ed's pocket where Kevin's phone was stored in. "Save it in your phone"

"Will do DD" Ed smiled feeling a little more hopeful that he could make amends with his old friend.

Eddward then gave him a nod and turned to walk away, he heard the door open and close behind him. As he waited in the elevator he looked up and closed his eyes, his back leaning against the cool glass and breathed out in huge relief. Thank god was all he would say.

He heard the doors open and he stepped out, and as he looked straight ahead he felt his heart come to a complete stop…

A man, taller than him with sun-kissed skin and bright short orange hair walk into the elevator. He was most definitely not a man to mess with, especially if it was about his son. There was no doubt in the world who that man was, though the odd thing was that an angered woman followed close behind. Her freckled face and petite body resembled the boy upstairs awfully similar.

He looked at the pair with confused yet observant eyes…just what the hell happened yesterday?

…

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though it's another short(ish) one._**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels (I'm beyond excited to write the chapter after the next one, it'll be a lot of fluffy/ emotional bonding moments between the two)**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time i update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**Answering Questions from chap 31**_

 _ **Flare669: Yes and No, I have two scenes in mind, one in which will shift their mindset into possibilities of having a romantic relationship, but they won't actually confess until the second scene. So between scene 1 and scene 2 i'll just be going with the flow.**_

 _ **Azully: As for your questions they shall be answered in future chapters hehe You will know who the hell Sam is soon...And that little piece I didn't explain about what happened between Ed and Eddy, unfortunately won't come up until much later.**_

 _ **Prfctlymprfct: Yes, as you read last chapter, the video I posted some time ago does give hints about what will happen in future chaps ;)**_

 _ **Alright Enjoy this chap and don't be shy to ask questions and clarifications! :3**_

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Tomas Barr could have never guessed that his fate would be cruel enough to bite him in the ass as it was doing now. Why for crying out loud was the woman who had swore she would never return…here? Why was the woman who wanted to abort now fighting to get her son back? Was this woman so god damn selfish to dare to show up only because she couldn't bear any more kids? What would have happened had she been able to have more kids? Would he have never had to deal with this situation, or would she have been consumed by guilt that her maternal instinct would bring.

Either way, this was the present, and his son Kevin had asked to speak with his mother in privately. He only hoped for the best, and that Kevin wouldn't be troubled at the moment with the woman's presence. He had sent a very confused Ed home and made his way down to a café on the first floor. Now the Barr man sat down with a frown on his face, as he stared intently at the coffee cup in his hand.

He was angry, very angry…this woman had hurt Kevin, she had put his only son in this life threatening situation. For that, she would never be forgiven.

After an hour or so, the tired man made his way back upstairs to the room with a half filled cup of coffee. He found the woman in the hall looking out the window at nothing in particular with eyes full of tears. He stopped a few feet away from her.

"…I'm sorry…" she spoke out in a breathy whisper. The small woman turned her freckled tear-stained face to look at the man behind her. "I'm so sorry Tom… I didn't mean for this to happen" she sniffed wiping her tears away "I promised Kevin I'd stay away so he can think clearly"

"… I think it's for the best" the man spoke firmly yet softly

The freckled faced woman frowned looking to the side out the window. Her pretty face outlined by the wrinkles of age and exhaustion. "You have made a wonderful father Tom… I would have just…" she breathed in "…I could have never done it, and I'm so sorry for leaving both of you…but…" she trailed off in a whisper her emerald eyes reflecting ancient memories "you have made our son such a kind hearted young man and for that I thank you so much." She rubbed her arms and the man could see the golden ring on her small finger be illuminated by the rays of the sun. "I hope we can talk things over after Kevin, has made a decision…clearly we all need a breather to think"

Tom Barr relaxed at her words "You're not going to take him away?"

She gasped at the statement "No, of course not Tom, how could I?" For the first time since their encounter, she reached to touch the man she had once loved all those years ago. "I could never do that to the two of you…"

The ginger man felt his eyes get glossy and heavy with tears that threatened to escape their prison "Thank you" he breathed out "Thank you…"

The small woman wrapped her thin freckled arms tightly around him not saying anything but just letting the action and silence speak for her.

…

The next morning Kevin heard the door open and noted as his father stepped into the room with a container of fruit salad and juice. "Thanks Dad" he said taking the container in hand giving a little hum of happiness as he finished pulling down his shirt. As he took a bite of a piece of melon the door opened once again.

His doctor was now the one stepping inside the room. She was a beautiful professional woman, with light eyes, and brown skin. Her name was Dr. Jones "Good Morning, are you ready to leave Kevin?" she with a Mona Lisa smile, though it was welcoming.

Kevin nodded "You bet" he said filling hid mouth with mote fruit as he felt beyond hungry. Hospital food was always gross, and for a moment he had debated whether Hospital food was worse than Cafeteria food…they were both pretty bad.

"That's good to hear" she took out a couple of papers from her clip board and handed them over to Kevin's father, giving him a brief explanation on what the papers said and what he needed to fill out. Then she turned to Kevin "As your doctor, I strongly advise you to continue to meet with Dr. Garcia, the psychologist that came to see you yesterday, in hopes that he will help you in calming and controlling your anxiety so this incident won't happen again." She gave a smile to Kevin "You must understand that under your situation I cannot give you any medication" she raised an eyebrow and Kevin nodded a bit sheepishly. She breathed out "Now, you are a sweet heart and as much as I would love to see your face again, I sincerely wish that it is not under any similar circumstances" she gave him a wink "I hope you enjoy your summer" she waved goodbye and closed the door behind her.

Kevin's father had then helped Kevin gather everything and walk to the truck, because the teen's body was still feeling weak and tired. They drove in silence for most of the ride back to the Barr residence, both feeling as if what had happened had just been a weird nightmare. It was surreal.

"Kevin, do you want to meet with the psychologist again?" Tom broke the silence awkwardly as he gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "I think it'll help, even just a bit"

As Dr. Jones had stated, he had met Dr. Garcia the previous day. The older man, maybe around his late fifties or early sixties, had come in time to interrupt a dispute between Kevin's parents. He had kicked them out to privately talk with him and see how his mentality was. Turns out that Kevin had really enjoyed his small talk with the man, and had helped to clear away some anger and anxiety about his mother giving him a clearer head when it was time to speak with her alone. "Sure" Kevin said simply leaning his head on the vehicle's door falling asleep.

"Alright, I'll call when we get home" The man spoke lowly

The rest of that day Kevin had decided to sit in his backyard with his phone glued to his ear as he talked to a very worried Nazz. He told her almost everything excluding the pills and instead saying it had simply been the panic attack that had placed him in the hospital.

"But are you sure you're alright Kevin?" the blond girl asked still very obviously concerned after the news of Kevin's mother.

"Yeah, I'm better now thanks. You don't have to worry anymore" he stood up and walked down to the grass to sit down looking up at the sunset that reminded him of a certain blue eyed teen. "So, what was that big thing you really wanted to tell me?"

"Oh uh" the girl giggled making Kevin smile closing his eyes missing the girl's laugh. "Well, the other day I went to a fair with a friend, and I bumped into a really sweet guy at one of the stands and he invited us to hang out with him and his friends this Friday."

"Hmmm" Kevin hummed teasingly "Guess you took my advice at finding a summer romance" he chuckled.

"No, no nothing like that just—uh… friends?" maybe? Potential friends for sure"

"Riiiight" Kevin rolled his eyes playfully "So what's the guy's name?" he asked.

"Josh, his name is Josh" the girl talked sweetly about the guy for the next half hour before they finally said their goodbyes and hanged up.

"Kevin you hungry?" Mr. Barr came out and asked in a calm tone

Kevin turned his eyesight towards his father as he lay in the soft grass "Nah, am not hungry"

"Are you sure? You haven't eaten since lunch" his father persisted

"Mm, I'm sure, I had an apple an hour ago" Kevin turned his gaze up to the stars that were faintly appearing in the sky. "I'll go inside in a little bit" he announced.

"Alright then..." The tired man left the glass door open just a crack and went back to the living room.

Kevin picked up his phone again and read the message the raven haired had sent yesterday, guess the guy really was worried huh. He dialed the number feeling a tiny bit anxious but smiled when he heard the voice answer him. "Evening" came a calm, collected tone from the other.

"Hey" Kevin smiled warmly

"I assume your back home, correct" Eddward asked the ginger boy

Kevin sighed softly answering him with a hum "yeah, it feels so much better than locked up in that hospital room...gave me the creeps honestly" he chuckled.

"Hospitals in general, aren't very joyful" the other answered smiling at the playful tone of the ginger boy.

"Yeah..." Kevin frowned remembering the night he had yelled at teen "...Hey, Eddward...?"

"Hm?" Eddward hummed, it was clear through the phone that Eddward was currently occupied with something, it seemed as if he was outside and Kevin wondered if he was working on the garden again. Who knew the mighty shark had a soft side for plants.

"I'm sorry" Kevin closed his eyes waiting for the response of the other.

Eddward was silent for a moment before letting out a small breath "For what?"

The ginger opened his eyes seeing the purple sky "For what I said that night...I didn't mean it"

"Kevin, it's ok" Eddward responded

Frowning further Kevin reacted. "No it not ok. I was talking gibberish, I-I was being stupid"

"No, you weren't. What you said was nothing but the truth, you were angry and what you said you meant it" Eddward paused a moment letting it sink in but continued before the other had any chance to respond "and that's was ok"

"...but that was mean of me...unfair" Kevin croaked out feeling utterly regretful.

He heard the raven haired teen sigh calmly "no, what was mean was what I did to you...what was unfair was letting you leave in the state you were in that night"

Kevin stared up at the now visible moon hiding behind a couple of pine trees many thoughts going through his head in the moment. One, Eddward had confessed right there, he had admitted his evil doings to Kevin flat out and knew it wasn't ok. However there was no apology even though Kevin could hear remorse in his tone…was this his way of apologizing? Second, Kevin began questioning if the teen blamed himself for what happened that night so he spoke reassuringly "Hey it's not your fault ok?"

Eddward said nothing for a long moment before he finally spoke "you could have crashed, it could have been worse..." he said in a thoughtful tone in which it was mostly to himself than to Kevin.

"But I didn't" he said trying to rid the guilt the other held

"There was a strong possibility..." the other responded

Kevin giggled lightheartedly though sadly knowing that yeah, the guy was right "But I didn't, and here I am right now talking to you. For crying out loud you saw me yesterday! I'm alive Vincent" some tears threatened to escape down the side of his freckled face at this realization.

"You're alive..." Eddward repeated softly

Kevin sniffed a bit "Damn it was scary..." He breathed out

Eddward listened intently to the shaky breathing of the other as he remembered the first time he had attempted to...well, end his own life. It had been as Kevin said, scary. He'd often dreamed about the experience, it was one of his constant nightmares. He had swam out to the deeper parts of the Peach Creek Beach, before letting himself sink. It had been terrifying how strong the pressure of the water was; maybe it was the time of season when the water was perhaps stronger but he had quickly began to feel the mighty strength of the ocean. He remembered suffocating and choking then he blanked out only feeling a peculiar warmth soon after and the next thing he knew he was in the hospital with his father staring back at him in utter disgust. Clearly, it had not been a pleasant experience or memory.

All in all, he knew what Kevin must be feeling at the moment, the teen was scared, probably scared of his own home where the incident had happened. And if he knew any better, it was to stay away from the area for a bit at least to think clearly, breath, and relax. He knew the exact place to go "Would you want to come with me?" He asked suddenly mixing his thoughts with his spoken words.

Kevin had calmed down a bit as he listened intently to the quiet breathing of the swimmer, knowing well he was thinking. "Where to?" He asked confused.

Eddward cleared his throat feeling a bit sheepishly himself now "My mother has a cabin two hours out of peach creek" he took a moment to breathe in as he thought about the offer grasping what he was saying. Never before had be taken anyone out to that cabin, it was something like his own sanctuary. Was he really about to allow Kevin in? "I uh, had already planned to go next week"

Kevin thought about this offer, his eyes wide. On one hand, he really wanted to scream a big yes, he wanted out of his home, he wanted out of Peach Creek and he wanted out of his parents…every fiber in his bone wanted to go, but there was a small problem. That was that his birthday was next week…did he want to abandon his father on that day…honestly speaking he didn't even want to celebrate, he didn't want to think about that his entire life he had thought his mother had died giving birth to him. "I'll think about it" he said frowning. He'd have to convince his dad to let him go and forget his birthday.

"Alright, inform me before Saturday" Eddward said

Kevin frowned praying to god his father would let him go, he didn't know what he would do if he didn't have his favorite grumpy faced companion around. "I will" he said softly.

Kevin laid there for a long period of time, both murmuring things back and forth making casual talk which faded into silence and the only they could hear were their breaths.

"It's getting pretty late huh" Kevin muttered his eyes closing from sleepiness

"Hm" Eddward hummed

"Goodnight then, I'm about to pass out" Kevin chuckled

"Goodnight" the swimmer repeated

They both lingered on the phone for a few seconds before Eddward was the one to hang up first and Kevin then detached the phone from his ear and laid on the grass in complete silence. Looking up at the dark sky, he thought about how the heck he was going to step inside. He was scared to go inside, he as scared of being alone. Then he felt a vibration in his hand and he lifted his phone to see a message. It read From E: [Breathe Barr]

How the hell did this guy have such great timing and know exactly what to say…

He hoped that by this time they were something more than simple companions, dare he say it? After everything that has happened Eddward was a good…friend… and the thought of him only seemed to feel his fearful heart with warmth. Being around the taller teen was enjoyable, exciting, and interesting. He wished he had been laying right there, on the cool grass next to him.

The guy was slowly turning things around and that made Kevin happier than anything else.

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry for all the short chapters, starting next chap they'll be longer again._**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels (Again, I'm excited to write the next chap hehe, and just be aware that Kevin is only now starting to see Edd as a friend, though what does Edd think? Find out possibly next chapter)**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**I meant to upload this Saturday but i overestimated my capability of writing such a long chapter after many short ones lol**_

 _ **Anyways Enjoy this new chapter! It's offcially the longest over 7K!**_

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Somehow, Kevin didn't know how but somehow he had convinced his father to let him go to the cabin with Eddward for two weeks! Though with one small condition...

His father had requested to meet the famous Eddward Vincent.

 _HOLY SHIT_ was all that little Kevin's mind was able to shout as his entire body shut down at the request. It would be briefly, just to put a face to a name really, but the idea didn't stop Kevin from turning ice cold. Would Eddward accept to it?

Kevin knowing his father knew this was inevitable. He knew this day would come and that his father would give this demand because he hanged out with the raven haired teen far too often for his father to ignore. He had slept over at the other's home a dozen times at this point for crying out loud! Also, no way in hell was his father going to let him go hours out of town with someone the man hadn't met especially after what had just happened. Though, because of this Kevin was still surprised that his father _had_ agreed.

Maybe the man had noticed Kevin's uncomfortable behavior in the house. Well, he had also made a visit the day before to chat with Dr. Garcia, the psychologist and he had mentioned about the trip in their session. Thankfully, the old man had thought it would be a good idea for Kevin to relax, have some fun for once and get his mind distracted. So maybe that was what had helped to convince his father on letting him go. Though, he did feel bad about leaving the week of his birthday…

Never mind that, the little ginger was in the middle of rushing off to the antiques shop to let the other know the semi-good news. He could have simply sent the guy a message but he really, and I mean _really_ didn't want to be home at the moment. That's a lie, this entire week after he had been released he just never wanted to b elocked up in his room, much less home. So he would end up hanging out in town, or stay over at Eddward or Ed's place. Course, it had worried his father, but he hoped the man understood that to him it was nearly suffocating and made him feel anxious simply being inside his own home.

There were few people out in town, even though it was Friday. However, it was still in the early afternoon it wouldn't get busy until evening. The town was as normal as it could get. A bus had just dropped off some mischievous middle schoolers and elementary kids filled the majority of the park and there were a handful of adults wondering the streets running errands. Nothing big ever happened in Peach Creek, maybe the occasional store robbery in the south side of town, and a small scandal caused by the trouble making high schoolers, but nothing more.

He parked his bike in front of the store, and placed some coins into the Parking Permit Dispenser giving him a good couple of hours. As he turned around and looked though the store's glass window he saw Ms. Adams sitting behind the register smiling down as she wrote something in a notebook lightly talking to Eddward who was cleaning an old clock on the other side of the store. What surprised Kevin from this interaction was that Eddward, despite his frown and furrowed eyebrows, was oddly enough displaying embarrassment. The tips of his ears were redder than cherries and his cheeks faintly tinted with a blush which made him think that Ms. Adams was teasing the mighty king of sharks about something. Whatever it was, it made the swimmer beyond shy and that was a view Kevin Barr was mostly definitely relishing.

"Afternoon" he said stepping in to the shop noticing Ms. Adams grin grow wider and Eddward tense up for a second before composing himself.

"Ah, Kevin dear! I'm so happy to see you today" Ms. Adams stood up motioning for Kevin to come closer. She tapped at his arm lightly over the counter "How are you?"

"I'm doing good thank you, how are you?" He said giving her a soft smile. He had visited a couple of times after discovering the shop, and it always pleased him to see how happy his visits made the woman. It was refreshing to see her; she was always on high spirits, and her wonderful light brown eyes full of youth.

"Exquisite my dear boy, more so now that you are here" At the moment it was as if Kevin was seeing a 20 year old Anna Adams, she just looked so cheerful, more so than usual. It kind scared him honestly, was it possible to be so happy that one could look younger? "Anyways, you arrived at the perfect time, right Eddward?" she (without Kevin noticing) winked towards the swimmers direction.

Kevin raised an eyebrow at the raven haired teen who had seemed to move away further towards a corner of the store. "Ann, I believe your pie is starting to burn" Eddward suddenly announced.

With a loud yelp the woman rushed away into the back of the store and up the stairs. Kevin stood watching the drape from where the woman had disappeared "Pie?" he asked.

Eddward cleared his throat turning his attention to whatever fancy item was in his hand "She bakes whenever she has an opportunity" he sighed out.

"Aha" Kevin placed his hands in his pockets leaning against the counter.

Eddward turned to a sheepish looking Kevin "I presume you have come to give me an answer about my offer?"

"Uh yeah" the ginger boy reached behind to scratch at his freckled neck.

"Well?" Eddward called out as he turned back around his eyes roaming through each gadget in that corner. The raven haired teen nearly had a heart attacked as he felt a warm hand touch his back. He winced at the touch as it still hurt a tiny bit from the fight, though the bruise was gone.

Kevin took notice at the slight expression of pain "Does it still hurt?" he asked in a whisper.

The taller teen looked down over his shoulder at the freckled teen who looked up at him with concern "Slightly" he said and turned his body to face Kevin as a gesture of 'leave it alone'.

The blue eyed teen noticed Kevin's uncomfortable state and felt an urge to ease the teen so he gently grabbed his freckled arm and gave it an encouraging squeeze. It seemed to work as Kevin looked up at him "I can go…" he said slowly "There's a condition though"

"And that is?" Eddward raised an eyebrow curiously

Kevin bit his lip moving closer to the taller teen and in a small voice said "My dad wants to meet you…" Kevin felt the taller teen go stiff and his skin color fade at the request and immediately he panicked "I-I mean you really d-don't have to! I-I don't have to g-go…" he trailed off grabbing at the hand that held him.

After a moment the taller teen regained some color back in his face but he still looked very much tense "No, it's alright" he said looking down.

"Really? You're ok with it?" Kevin asked unsure, he had thought the raven haired teen would have instantly said no, but he was extremely grateful because he really wanted a change of scenery.

"Yeah" Eddward nodded giving Kevin a small smirk of reassurance. At this Kevin seemed to light up which made the taller teen cheer up a bit seeing the happy smile the ginger radiated.

They heard a loud rustling behind the curtain and Kevin ran off to help the woman with whatever it was though not before giving another smile towards the swimmer. As the ginger disappeared Eddward released a huge breath he had been holding, _Fuuuuck_ he internally freaked out.

For most of that day Kevin ended up helping around the shop, he swept the floors, worked the register and helped Ms. Adams in the back with minor things. Eddward had enjoyed the ginger's lively company; he even laughed seeing Ms. Adams and Kevin's joyful behaviors clash wonderfully together. They were like toddlers so full of energy ready to burst out, it was hilarious really.

The entire day was slow, well most days it was slow only getting a handful of customers throughout the day. Most of them regular who were into collecting antiques, yes these people were elderly. The boys wondered how the woman was able to make such a good business, ah well the items were kind of expensive.

As the day got darker, Kevin decided it was time to leave and said his goodbyes with a warm hug from Ms. Adams and a quick wave from the taller teen. Kevin could see that the streets were busier now with high schoolers roaming the streets and adults entering nearby bars. He mounted his bike and took off happy that Eddward had agreed to it. They had agreed that Eddward would pick him up in the morning, so now Kevin had to quickly pack anything necessary and give Nazz a call.

Eddward sat behind the counter as he stared off at the window as Kevin quickly vanished into the busy night life of the town. It scared him shitless every time he saw the ginger ride that death machine, it was a reminder of the night Kevin had his incident. Of what could have been or rather of what could still be…clearly the freckled teen had no intention of letting that vehicle go. It was frustrating knowing something could happen again, and in all honestly every time he saw the ginger get on the bike he had to hold back his urge to grab the boy and drive him home himself... It was just safer ok?

"Are you worried?" he heard the women ask as she sat down on the other side of the counter leaning her cheek on her hand.

"About what?" he questioned avoiding her gaze and putting on his usual scowl.

She chuckled at the teen's shyness "About meeting his father?"

Eddward's eye instantly looked up to meet her curious brown eyes "What? You heard?"

"I eavesdropped" she childishly smiled "Come on you can talk to me, I'm aaall ears hun"

"There's nothing to talk about" the teen pulled at the collar of his shirt beginning to feel uncomfortable.

The woman chuckled again grabbing at his hand and turning his palm up. She stared at his palm and ran a finger along lines and veins as if she was reading a book. "You're afraid, Eddward" it was a statement that chilled the blue eyed teen to the core. "Are you afraid of Kevin's father?" she peeked a glance up at the raven haired tilting her head as he looked down at her horrified "Don't be so afraid, there's nothing to be afraid about" she said placing her hands to hold his tightly "Be brave, even if you're not, just pretend to be. No one can tell the difference" she whispered out smiling up at the teen.

Eddward just held tightly onto her hands, and this gave Ms. Adams a happy note that Eddward had relaxed. He hadn't denied his fear, and that was good enough for her. "You know, when I was young possibly around your age, I had this moment when I had to choose between taking the safe route or facing my fear head on" she paused looking into the distance as she remembered.

"W-what did you do?" Eddward questioned suddenly terrified that Ms. Adams knew all he had done to Kevin.

"Despite every bone in my body screaming with terror, I decided that I wanted to be free and I conquered my fear" she smiled "It was the best decision I have ever made in my life"

Eddward sighed "And what were you so afraid of if I may ask?"

The women looked down at their intertwined hands, and Eddward noticed her normally cheery eyes flash sadness in them as she remembered "I had to marry this young man, but at the time I was madly in love with my best friend…we had our affairs while I dated this other man and I knew that if people found out about us I would have been disowned by my family…maybe even killed"

"That's extreme…" Eddward listened intently to the women's story.

She laughed at this "Indeed, times were different back then dear, but it makes for a great story don't it?" she smiled.

"I suppose…so what happened?" he urged her to continue as he was very intrigued by her soap opera story.

"We had planned to run away days before my wedding, but she couldn't muster up the courage to go through with it." She smiled

"Wait, she?" he asked puzzled

The woman laughed warmly "Yes, _she_ stayed behind, married a nice fellow had three kids. I was disowned and banished, and eventually I found myself here in Peach Creek" she chuckled lightly tapping the counter "surprised?"

"A little…" he said blushing slightly and sadly thinking how tragic her story had turned out to be.

"Well, my whole point is that if you don't face your fears you will more than likely leave this life with regret in your heart. It's a heavy thing to carry around you know" she pated his cheek "Conquer those fears my boy, you will feel free once you do"

Eddward just nodded silently, unsure of what to say. However, he felt like he could trust Ms. Adams. Though she may not know at the moment, he felt like he could relate to her… her words hitting him deeper than she thought. Her wisdom and experience seemed to lighten him up even just a bit. "Thank you" he mumbled awkwardly. This woman was a very interesting person, and it made him wonder why in the world she had chosen to give him this job, it wasn't like he was out looking for work. He had been roaming around the streets late one night patrolling some trouble making freshman who had decided to tattle tale to the school when he bumped into her. Next thing he knew he was helping her move some of the heavy antiques.

"You are very welcome Eddward" she patted his hand "Alright, let's close for the day" Eddward then stood up turning the open sign to close and then began their usual routine. He left the store feeling a bit more relaxed as he recalled Ms. Adams words and story.

…

Saturday morning Kevin was up very early feeling beyond unsteady. He had barely been able to sleep the previous night, and instead took an early shower and dressed in khakis and an oversized white tank top as well as his usual quiz bowl cap and this time he decided to wear his glasses. He had eyed his father that entire day, and saw no real threat for the swimmer. Instead his father had been preoccupied with doing work on the house, it seemed as if he was just trying to be busy and not think. Kevin felt bad, bad about leaving, bad about not being able to properly talk with his father but he was still angry that he had lied. A lie that made him feel stupid and childish, well let's just say he had a lot of mix feelings towards his dad.

With a long sigh he placed his pack bag and a small bag in the living room, and headed into the kitchen eating a bowl of fruit salad and French toast. A couple minutes later his father walked in, not even giving him a glance or a good morning, was he angry? Didn't seem like it… "Morning dad" he decided to announce taking a bite of pineapple.

His father then turned to look at him "Uh Morning kiddo" the man looked beyond tired, and Kevin wasn't surprised as he had taken extra shifts at the factory, since his construction was getting little done.

Lowering his gaze he sipped at his juice "You should sleep dad, you look exhausted" he picked up a piece of toast and handed it over to his father knowing the man had most likely skipped out on breakfast.

Tom took it with a small smile and bit into it "No time, I should fix the house now that it's still sunny out" he sat down at the table "What time is your friend coming?"

Kevin's olive eyes wondered to the kitchen hall where a clock was hanging "Hm, 30 minutes more or less" he said.

"Ok" The man lightly tapped at his knee as he ate the rest of the toast "Hey Kid?" The freckled boy hummed not looking at his father as he finished his toast. "I'm sorry about everything…"

Finishing the rest of his juice, he cleared his throat. He didn't know what to say, he didn't necessarily want to forgive, well, not just yet. "Were you every going to tell me?" he asked instead.

His father leaned back on the seat "Honestly…no" he said rubbing his hands on his worn out jeans.

"Ok" Kevin stood to take his dishes over to the sink and began washing his and what was left from the previous night. His father just sat at the table and they both stood there in silence and not long they heard a rumbling engine outside. Kevin could feel his heart stop at the familiar sound, and his father stood.

"Is that him?" he asked peeking out the window "Wait, isn't that Ed's car?"

His olive eyes widened as he remembered that his dad had seen Eddward's car, _oh shit_ he said… "Um, no they just look alike" he laughed nervously.

"Huh, I swear they're the same" his father shrugged "Either way, his parents must be loaded huh" he said turning back to his son.

"You have no idea" he smirked, and jumped a little as he felt a vibration from his phone. It was a simple message from the other indicating him that he had arrived. "Ok, guess I'll be going then" he sighed drying his hands on a towel.

"Right" His father followed behind placing his hands in his pockets.

Kevin felt like he was able to explode not necessarily because his dad was going to be mean, he knew his father was going to be beyond friendly. It was because of Eddward, he knew the guy didn't adults. However he hoped it wouldn't be as bad, since the teen did get along with Ms. Adams, but the difference was that Ms. Adams wasn't a nearly 6 foot tall, bulky man. With a sigh he opened the door and stepped out into the summer heat, and saw Eddward standing next to his car in his usual black jeans, black stripped beanie and a denim shirt. He looked honest to god… _Handsome_ Kevin thought blushing a bit. Though he was popular among the girls in school, so he kind of already knew that…he supposed _ugh ok w-whatever_ he added. He turned the rim of his hat backwards, and adjusted his glasses as he and his father walked down the steps. "Hey" he called out giving Eddward a wary smirk and noticed that Eddward seemed to be missing something…his dog tags were gone.

"Morning" he said giving Kevin a reassuring smile, and a firm nod towards Kevin's father.

Kevin could tell the guy was beyond tense, his fingers secretly scratched at his pants and his eyes avoiding making direct contact with the man. "Um dad, this is Eddward" he gestured towards the taller teen. "Eddward, this is my dad"

Mr. Barr reached a hand out to Eddward "Nice to finally meet ya Eddward" he gave the teen a wide grin.

"Pleasure to meet you as well Sr." Eddward shook the man's hand in a firm grip again avoiding meeting his eye. Eddward knew he didn't deserve to be standing in front of this man, and Kevin's father would have agreed if he had found out he was once the cause of Kevin's physical pain. In fact had the man known, he had surely crushed his hand and been thrown over to the next town…no, he'd be thrown to china as a matter of fact.

"I'm happy to know that my son has found a great friend like you to hang around, he might learn some manners huh" he chuckled out letting go and gave the taller teen a friendly, yet harsh pat on the back "So, where is your cabin?" he asked.

With a pale expression Eddward nodded "Its two hours out of town, up the mountains by Walnut Creek" he said awkwardly.

"Ah, it's nice and peaceful up there. Do you go often with your family?" He said placing his hands in his pockets.

Eddward nodded again "I typically spend my summers there"

Kevin's father chuckled "So, you like outdoor activity huh"

"I do Sr."

Kevin remembered something at that and suddenly added to the conversation "Ah, Dad! Eddward is captain of the swim team at our school" he knew that would make his father like the guy instantly.

Amazed, his father grinned widely "That's very impressive, your parents must be very proud of you" with that he had known his father was sold, though it made some of his own insecurities crawl up to the back of his mind. "Maybe you can teach this kid some tricks" Eddward simply nodded at the statement unsure of what to say or how to act at Mr. Barr's words. "Alright then, I won't keep you any longer, enjoy your trip boys" he smiled giving another pat to Eddward's shoulder.

Eddward gave another firm nod and step aside to let Kevin walk past, but before Kevin took a step his father grabbed him by his shoulder "Have a great Birthday Kid" he said in a low voice. Then let go of the freckled boy and stepped back.

"Thanks dad" Kevin gave a small smile back towards his father and placed his two bags in the back, before getting in the car with Eddward. He hoped the blue eyed teen hadn't heard that it was his birthday soon, though by the looks of the teen it seemed he hadn't. He waved goodbye as Eddward pulled out and drove out the neighborhood. He sighed out looking over to the raven haired "I hope that wasn't too bad"

The freckled teen looked at the raven haired who had relaxed the moment they drove out of the neighborhood "I guess not…" he said quietly "I just…really don't do adults"

"Sorry…" he apologized feeling bad, but grateful that was over with. Now he was filled with excitement as he was finally getting out of town.

"It's alright…ok get comfy it'll be awhile" Eddward sped up as he entered the highway out of town. He was beginning to feel way to hot with the beanie and decided to remove it throwing it in the back. Kevin leaned back in his seat looking out the window seeing the quiet town past them quickly. The raven haired teen glanced over at the ginger next to him noticing the backwards hat leaving his long bangs to stick out. He gave him a smirk and reached over to ruffle the hair underneath the hat "You look like a jock with your hat on backwards" he chuckled.

The hat of course fell of the ginger's head and onto his lap the quiz bowl letters facing Kevin "I highly doubt I look anything like a jock with a hat that says Quiz Bowl on it, more like I look like a complete nerd" he chuckled out scratching at his hair. "I don't have the height or build to pull it off either" he said wiggling his arms in front of him. He then turned to the other and moved his eyes quickly up and down "And I thought you only owned black clothing" he teased.

At this he saw the swimmer ears turn a faint pink "It's too hot to be wearing all black, dork" he mumbled, running a hand through his raven locks.

Kevin fanned himself, even with the AC on it was still pretty warm in the car "Dude, your hair is pretty long, how have you survived this summer?" he questioned seeing a faint sweat begin to drip down the teen's neck.

"I tie it up in a ponytail" he simply said, shrugging "And I don't cut it, because I don't like random people touching my head"

"You should let me cut it, I'll pull up Pinterest and find a rad hairstyle for you" he chuckled flipping through his phone.

"Um, no you'll most likely leave me with a bald spot" Eddward shook his head. He grabbed a wire that connected to the stereo and handed it to Kevin.

"Will not!" he laughed at the image of a bald Eddward "But if I do, then we could shave your entire head and I'll draw fake tattoos all over. Shit, you'll look like a real badass!" he wiped a tear away as he was laughing way too hard at the image. He plugged in the wire to his phone "Nice I get to be DJ"

Eddward smirked at the wonderful laugh the freckled boy had, it was such a warm and bubbly laugh it filled his stomach with a happy feeling. "Yeah, yeah whatever, just don't play anything too boring or obnoxious"

Kevin raised an eyebrow "Does that include Katy Perry and Beyoncé?"

The swimmer had a scowl expression and rolled his eyes "Please don't, I'm not going to listen to California girls and Single Ladies for the next two hours"

Kevin erupted with laughter "Don't give me that face they're the queens of our generation and you know it!" he accused pointing a finger in the other's direction.

"That may be, though it doesn't mean _I_ have to conform to it" he chuckled

"Ok, ok, but I was totally kidding" Kevin laughed a little scrolling through his phone "How about some Mystery Skulls, you heard?" Kevin clicked on the song Ghost.

"Yeah I have" he said content with the choice of music the ginger had decided to play.

Throughout the ride, they had continued to discuss their favorite bands, and music to listen to. Kevin would listen to absolutely anything except for country; However, Eddward disliked a lot of mainstream pop, and rap music including county as well. They both found they liked similar music and bands, and it pleased Kevin to know they shared this in common. A little after an hour the little freckled teen had drifted off to sleep and Eddward drove with a chill mix playlist from his phone. It was peaceful hearing the boy's breathing and having his company, and every once in a while the blue eyed teen stole a glance in his direction…you know, just…making sure everything was alright.

After an hour and thirty minutes, they had pulled off the highway and began driving up the mountain slowly. The bumpy road rose the ginger up, as he nearly hit his head on the door. "Sorry about that" Eddward mumbled slowing his speed a little.

"Nah, it's cool" He looked around and saw they had entered a forest. Eddward had turned off the AC and rolled down the windows, so Kevin could hear the sound of a nearby river, and squirrels jumping from tree to tree. "This is awesome" he lowly said leaning his head out the window as he watched "we close?"

"Yes, just up this road" the taller teen was now driving with simply one hand while his other arm rested out the window, his head leaning on his hand. His forehead covered in a light layer of sweat, his shirt with two more undone buttons revealing his beautifully tan skin. The view made Kevin's face heat up for some reason though he blamed it on the summer heat.

Not long, they saw the cabin just up ahead and Kevin mouth opened seeing the two-story long cabin. Of course, he wouldn't expect anything less from the Eddward Vincent. "Woah, is that it?" he asked.

"Yeah, we arrived" he confirmed parking the car in front of the car. Without a moment's hesitation he stepped out of the car and stretched his tired limbs as he took a long breath in.

 _Damn this is so cool_ Kevin thought following the other out of the car as well and taking in the scenery. There was a small river up ahead, the trees were extremely tall and green, and the cabin looked to be very spacious with huge porch on the back. It looked like they were the only ones up here, no other cabins or people in sight.

They grabbed some bags from the trunk of the car and carried them to the front door. Eddward took out a key from his back pocket of his jeans and looked down at them for long moment. He was about to let someone else inside the cabin…Hesitantly he opened the door to the place stepping in to what was the living room. The couches were of dark brow/reddish leather, and had blankets neatly folded on top as well as handmade pillows. There was a small glass coffee table in the middle above a huge dark blue square rug, and on the right wall there was a fireplace. Kevin was astonished by the pretty looking cabin as he set the bags by the couch. There were beautifully carven stairs on the left of the entrance that lead to the second floor, and the kitchen and dining room combined. He could see the glass doors on the other side of the living room leading to the porch, which from where he was standing had a gorgeous view. "The place is hella big" he mumbled out looking up and seeing the railing on the upstairs floor.

"Yeah, it's kind old though but I've managed to keep it standing strong" he smiled down at the freckled teen "Let's get the rest of the stuff from the car, then I'll show you upstairs" he motioned out with his head.

"Ok" Kevin cheerfully followed the teen out.

They had taken a couple of trips bringing in bags which stored daily necessities, and food for the next two weeks. Kevin was surprised how much space Eddward's car had. Once they finished, they sat in the living room drinking cold water in silence. They were already a bit tired from the heat but the air the fan in the living room gave was refreshing. Though, they still had to clean the cabin, it wasn't that big of a tedious task, because the place was already pretty much set but nonetheless it had most likely been a year since it had been last cleaned. "You want to see upstairs?" The raven haired asked leaning forward as he looked at the ginger who was lying on the floor.

"Yeah!" Kevin rose up quickly with excitement.

Eddward smirked at the childish behavior. It was just so simple to please the teen, it was kind of adorable. "Kay, come one" he indicated placing his glass of water on the coffee table and walking up the stairs.

Kevin grabbed his two bags to place them in the room he would be staying in on the way and made his way up the stars as well. From the top over the railing he could see the entire living room. There was a small hallway with a loveseat and a lamp next to a narrow window and on each side of the hallways there were a door that led to bedrooms. "The left one is yours, right one's mine" he opened the door.

Kevin stepped inside seeing the room, the ceiling was triangular which made a wonderful shelve on the end, there was a twin sized bed on the right side and a glass door that led to a small porch and a drawer and on the left. It was simply and nice, he placed his bags on the bed and peeked out the window and saw the car outside and a young fawn walking past the cabin. "Holy shit, look it's a deer!" he said excitedly.

Eddward came behind the ginger teen and peeked out the window as well to see the innocent creature. He hummed as he watched "You'll be seeing more than a simple deer" he smiled.

Kevin looked up to the teen, and felt that same surge of heat in his face. He could see every detail of the teen very clearly. The way his wavy jet black strands of hair stuck to the back of his neck, the way some drops of sweat dripped down his face, his natural smell invaded his freckled nose, and those wonderful blue orbs that stared forward…he, he kind of wished them to stare in his direction…weirdly enough…he cleared his throat feeling embarrassed and stepped back. "Bears?" he asked shyly.

"I saw one once" Eddward raised an eyebrow towards Kevin "But don't worry their harmless if you stay away" he chuckled beginning to walk out the room.

With that they spent the rest of the day cleaning and organizing the cabin. They started down in the living room getting the dust out of the way and stocking the kitchen with food and washing to dishes and pans. Eventually they slowly made their way up to their bedroom, Kevin ended up looking through some of the books that were on the shelves and found they were all educational for a kid in the third grade. He wondered how long it had been since the last time the raven-haired teen had come here with his parents.

Around some time Eddward had gone downstairs to prepare some food for them, as it was getting fairly dark out. With the dark sky came a cooler wind as well, they had decided to sit outside in the nice evening sky eating their hamburgers and fries. He didn't know how the fuck Eddward did it, but this guy was an amazing cook in general. From simple eggs to a traditional hamburger, they were always so freaking amazing. Was there anything the great King didn't know what to do? Kevin may never know.

They sat out talking about what they would do tomorrow, but both were too tired to truly make any decisions, maybe go out on a hike and explore the area. As soon as they finished their meal, they washed the dishes and took turns showering and getting ready to sleep even though it was still early. Kevin sat in his bed, looking out through the glass door seeing the stars begin to shimmer beautifully in the night sky. It truly was beautiful up here, though he couldn't help but wonder if it truly had been alright to leave.

He rubbed his arm beginning to feel a bit anxious…it was just too silent. Without the company of the other or the tasks to keep him busy he was left alone to his own thoughts. He remembered the conversation he had had with the woman that called herself his mother. She had told him her side of the story, and had told him the harsh truth…yeah, he had been unwanted at the time. It was a hard reality to think about, how could she not want him? And if she didn't want him then she didn't love him and if she didn't love him…then what gave her the right to demand his love now?

His thoughts were suffocating, so he decided to step out onto the small porch to breath in fresh air and hope that would clear his mind. He opened the glass door as quietly as possibly as not to disturb the other and sat down on the floor pulling his knees close to his chest and closing his eyes. He heard owls and the slow flowing of water in the distance. The ginger teen tried his hardest to calm his thoughts, and take deep breaths but he couldn't help but feel terrible about how cruel life could be. Like why, had she shown up to mess with everything all of a sudden?

He heard himself hiccup a little as some tears build up in his eyes. Suddenly the memory of when he was locked up in the bathroom in a panic came to him. It had been so suffocating, so scary he hadn't known what to do. He had just wanted to calm down and sleep, god, he had just wanted to sleep to forget everything. Had she not shown up, he wouldn't have had that panic attack, and he wouldn't have had that near death experience.

He jumped the sound of a glass door opening and he looked up seeing the raven haired leaning against the door on his side. He was staring straight ahead into the woods, as if in thought. Kevin tried to be as still and quiet as possible praying the guy hadn't noticed him yet. "You know, if you need to cry… just let it out" Eddward sighed shoving his hands in his pajama pants. "It's unhealthy to hold it in" he said lowly, continuing to stare off onto nothing in particular.

Kevin lowered his head again hiding from the teen feeling some of the tears fall down quietly. He'd wish the other would sit next to him, he needed the extra comfort. He pulled his knees closer to his chest tightly, feeling the cool air kiss his freckled skin softly.

Suddenly he heard the raven haired teen walk back inside and Kevin immediately raised his head again to see if the guy decided to go to sleep. However after a few short seconds, he had come back out with a thin blanket in his hand. The raven haired then grabbed a hold of the railing and began to climb over to Kevin's side. Kevin gasped and rushed forward "Wait! I-Idiot you're gonna fall!" he panicked.

In less than fifteen seconds the raven haired teen had climbed over safely and had covered the freckled teen with the blanket. "Damn it Eddward, can't you just use the door like a normal person?" Kevin chuckled amazed at the pretty dumb things this genius was capable of doing. He grabbed at the blanket with a small smile around him and stared up at the taller teen with wide eyes.

Eddward stared back and ruffled the ginger's hair "You wouldn't be smiling if I had" he smirked. Pulling the ginger down on the floor again, now sitting next to each other leaning against the glass door. Kevin could feel his shoulder faintly brush the other's arm and he tried his best not to lean anymore. This reminded him of the time Eddward had carried him up the latter to the roof at school and they had seen the sun setting. It had been a dreamy memory, one that filled him with warmth as the teen had been trying to comfort him, as he was now. He felt a cold hand wrap around his freckled one, and surprised he looked up at the taller teen who was staring forward. "Want to talk about it?" he calmly asked.

Kevin breathed in steady, intertwining his finger with the slender ones. "Yeah…" he said in a whisper sliding down a bit more. They were in silence for a couple of moments as Kevin gathered his thoughts, and the swimmer waited patiently for him to speak. "Um…when I got home that day, I heard my dad arguing with someone…" he began now leaning onto the swimmer's comforting shoulder "It was this lady…she was crying"

Eddward listened closely as he heard the teen speak and when he mentioned the woman he couldn't help to wonder if it was the same person following Kevin's father at the hospital. "She was crying something about her son, I wasn't really paying attention at first but…" he paused again breathing in recalling the memory "She looked at me and just cried harder" he felt his voice choke "…She, S-She's my mom Eddward" he stuttered. "She's been a-alive this entire t-time"

Eddward gave a comforting squeeze to the trembling hand "It just…I just she was dead…I thought I'd never see her, h-hug her, speak to her…I-I thought that was fine b-because she was watching over us" he ran his free hand through his ginger hair "b-but she wasn't even doing that…She didn't give a shit about how I was Eddward…s-she never w-wanted me in the first place" he laughed out darkly "How can a mother not want her child…?" he asked quietly not expecting an answer.

However, the Raven haired teen pulled the tearful boy closer to him making him rest his head on his shoulder. "Guess we're more alike than I thought…" he spoke out in a low murmur. This made the ginger looked up at him and he returned a smile in his direction "I'm an unwanted child as well…though by both of my parents. You however, still have your father"

Kevin's eyes went wide…of course, Eddward had known what Kevin felt like, how could he be so selfish…Eddward the teen who had grown up with the rejected and scowls of his parents…living alone in the home where he held old happy memories now most likely painful ones "I'm sorry" he whispered leaning again on his shoulder, squeezing his hand tightly in his and some tears now fell thinking how many years of loneliness the other must have experienced.

"I…I was around ten when my parents began taking 'business trips' by the time I turned twelve I no longer saw them… it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that I was a mistake in their lives" he breathed in leaning against the ginger teen "I kept thinking to myself what was the reason for being born…if I wasn't wanted then why have me?" he glanced at the crying freckled boy and he couldn't help but think how precious and angelic this kid was. "I suppose even adults make mistakes too, however if your mother return it must mean that she wants you now, right?"

Kevin nodded in agreement "S-she can't have kids a-anymore" he mumbled "I'm the only one"

"I'm sure she's been thinking about this for a long time…It must be hard for her to face the child she abandoned, Fortunately, she wants to mends things" The raven haired teen slid down a bit "And I believe that you should take the opportunity now that it has been presented to you, doesn't mean to have to forgive her right away…but everyone deserves a second chance right?"

Kevin was a strong believer of second chances, and he knew Eddward was right…if he had given the one person who had tormented him both physically and emotionally a second chance then maybe he could give one to the women who had abandoned him. "Yeah…" he lowly said, his tears drying a bit.

They stayed liked that for possibly what seemed like an hour, just leaning onto each other until Eddward said it'd be better to go inside, or they might get sick from falling asleep outside. Kevin agreed and they both headed inside to Kevin room. As the freckled teen saw the other make his way out of the room he panicked not wanted to be alone and unconsciously grabbed at the sleeve of the teen's shirt pulling him back in. "Um…" Kevin instantly let go too embarrassed to ask him to stay.

As if the raven haired teen had read his mind he walked over to the bed and laid down "Come it's late" he called out closing his eyes.

Kevin couldn't help but feel a huge rush of relief as he wasn't going to be alone the night. He really didn't want to and was beyond grateful the King of sharks had decided to stay. He shyly made his way to the bed, they were cramped but to Kevin it was nice. For the first time since his incident, he was able to easily fall asleep.

Eddward however, had pretended to be asleep and once he was sure the other had fallen asleep he opened his eyes. The room was dark, and the only sounds he could hear were of crickets and the teen's breathing. He reached a hand for his dog tags which ever stored in his pocket. He stared at the two metals with the engravings of M and F from a distance, then turning them over he saw the date of birth and names of each of them. He remembered he had made these in his third-grade class as a reminder to never forget their birthdays, now they simply served as a reminder of the people who had left him. He turned to look at the sleeping teen, his freckled tear stained face illuminated by the moon's light. He didn't know what he would have done had he been in Kevin's place…if perhaps one day his own mother showed up one day apologizing…he might not ever forgive her. He could never bear to see the woman's face and act as if nothing had happened. The interaction would be so fake, that the idea simply made him nauseous. However, he hoped for Kevin's sake and health that everything would be alright and that his selfish mother wouldn't cause him any more trouble.

He placed the dog tags in his pocket and closed his eyes falling asleep along with the smaller teen. The last thing on his mind was that he hoped this get away would help resolve and deal with the bottled up emotions Kevin had.

…

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 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I enjoyed writing it and I'm happy to be able to write fluff between these two...These chapters in their get away are definitely going to be my favorite to write hehe_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels! :3**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night**_


	35. Chapter 35

_**Hey everyone!**_

 _ **Gonna ramble for a bit lol**_

 _ **Ok so first off sorry for the hella slow updates**_ _ **If you follow me on Tumblr then you may be aware that I'm currently overwhelmed with college applications and building a portfolio. Recently, I just hate everything I draw so it's been taking me a while to finish it and it's becoming really stressful, frustrating and nerve wracking mainly because I have to go under a portfolio review to get into the program I want. Sigh~ it doesn't help that my own insecurities and negative shiz like to eat at me during these certain times. Unfortunately, due to all this I have had absolutely no motivation to write. No matter how much I want to my writing only comes out forced and I hate it. This is why I take a while to write and update, because I can only write fluid on times when I'm calmer and in the mood to write (Which usually happens to be at midnight lol)**_

 _ **Nonetheless your supportive and kind reviews have been really touching and I'm beyond happy that there are people who love this story as much as I do. Alright it's like 4 am for me need sleep :P**_

 _ **I hope this chapter is decent enough, and that you enjoy it nevertheless.**_

 _ **Much love from Ari :3**_

* * *

That night Eddward Vincent had slept peacefully next to Kevin. This was quite abnormal for him, however what wasn't now a days. Since, Kevin had barged into his private life everything had gone whack!

Eddward Vincent had particular nightmares you see, nightmares that wouldn't go away so simply. They were his regrets that tormented him enough to wake him up in the middle of the night gasping in sweat, sometimes in tears. They occurred much more frequent after the beating on the small freckled teen on the last week of their sophomore year. Well, the memory alone was enough to make him feel an ocean of guilt and he'd often burry it in the farthest of places in the back of his mind. He feared sleep, because even though he tried his hardest to ignore the memory and everything else that he had done he simply could NOT run away. The same scenes of a beat up crying Kevin haunted him, the same whispers and laughs that ridiculed him reminding him over and over again how he didn't deserve the empathy given by Kevin, how it would be easier to go back to the way it used to be, and how he wasn't worth enough to live…much less breathe the same air Kevin Barr breathed.

Yet, somehow lying next to Kevin did not provoke more discomfort but on the contrary it was welcomed. On the nights the ginger teen slept next to him, everything was quiet, everything was warm, his mind at peace. It was on those nights he thankfully was able to sleep tranquilly. Unfortunately, this comfort provided room for selfishness…the warmth the small teen radiated was something the raven haired teen craved most nights.

So when the morning rays of the sun hit his eyelids forcing him to stir awake in a state of numbness, unknowing of how to feel, possibly relieved that he had slept properly? Or frustrated that he had to depend on someone to rid of these horrid nightmares? His attention however quickly moved over to the side when he felt weight on him. He had woken up to yet another drooling...yet endearing looking Kevin who had tangled his legs with his own. He froze instantly feeling a mix of emotions fill his stomach. But the warmth was there, it was there and it calmed him down. Kevin warm freckled skin was beyond comforting to him he couldn't help to lean in slightly.

After calming down and letting his body relax once again he resolved into letting the freckled boy enjoy his sleep. His eyes moved to the glass door and he noticed it was still fairly dark out maybe around four or five in the morning. It didn't annoy him however, since he was used to starting his day at such an early hour to go out for a run. On the other hand, with the smaller teen wrapped around him he found it impossible to get up. Well, he could but you know... It would be a shame to disturb such peaceful rest.

So he stayed still for the next hour until the ginger boy finally moved facing the other way. Instantly the swimmer felt cold, but before he could think too much on his small disappointment he quietly raised himself from bed and sneaked out of the room. Making his way across the small hallway into his own room he calculated at least two more hours before the ginger boy would wake up. He couldn't blame the kid if he slept in until the afternoon. The horrible dark circles under his eyes the teen carried recently clearly said he got little to no sleep.

He took his shirt off and folded it placing it back to where it belonged, before dressing in sporty gear figuring he'd take a shower after his run. He glanced at himself in the bathroom mirror and noted his hair a completely curly mess…morning hair. He brushed it out and put tied it into a ponytail. The sun was only now lighting up the sky, he could hear faint sounds of the wild beginning to rustle about as he closed the door behind him. He could feel the temperature of the air rapidly increasing in heat, today once again would be a horribly hot day. The raven haired teen, had always been a colder season type of person, mainly because summer brought on sweat which he detested.

He had ran down the hill knowing there was a huge lake close by, the tranquility of the water had always been relaxing to him. He could never figure why he had grown so attached to water, it was weird but every time he went for a swim he felt a sense of peaceful fluidity. It was almost like it was his natural element, again weird but he couldn't complain because it was one of the few things that brought him genuine joy in this life.

Less than hour later he had made full circle and returned to the cabin to find that his calculations were correct, Kevin had not woken up yet. He looked at the clock on the wall in the kitchen seeing it read a little past 7 in the morning. With that he made his way to the shower with fresh pair of clothes in hand.

After dressing in clothing for the rest of the day he decided to head on to into the third bedroom in the cabin which was downstairs. He opened the door quietly inhaling a moment as he saw boxes, and dust overflowing the inhabited room. The room was dark, the windows covered by old cotton cloths, there was dust everywhere, and completely filled with nostalgia. Closing the door behind him, he stood there a moment eyes wondering among the labeled old boxes. There were boxes with the labels clothes, toys, and other things of the sort. Quite honestly these were things that he himself had brought over from his own house and locked up. His childhood was in here, locked away and forgotten for most of the year until the day when he revisited. He walked up to a box and carefully looked inside, there were items inside. Perfume bottles, a music box, makeup, and some dresses. Ah, this was his mother's articles...

There were things his mother and father had left behind, things that simply didn't matter enough to them to take it along when they had decided never to come back again, things that he despised. He had kept everything for two years just in case they decided to come home, sleep in their room, have dinner together or whatever but after a while he began to rebel against their written demands. He no longer was afraid of punishment or disappointing them further. He had taken all of their things from their room and locked it up in this room along with everything else they had given him such as gifts, clothes, and furniture. It was all here.

Had he gone truly mad during his middle school days, he would have burned the damned things yet the treacherous memory of the family they once were didn't allow him. He sold some furniture, taken small jobs around the neighborhood and although he wasn't proud of it, he had also taken on jobs for Sam. It all proved worth it when he had raised enough to buy it all new and rid of these disgusting things. However there had been one room in the house he could never dare to touch for various reasons…his father's office. Everything from the house except things from that office was locked up in here.

He hoped to get rid of everything once and for all one day.

Having the physical items of his abandonment in front of him was painful…painful and disturbing.

...

Kevin tossed and turned for a couple of minutes the sun waking him but still wanting to continue sleeping. As he turned over he slowly began to feel a loss of warmth. He slowly opened his eyes and saw nothing but the plain wooden wall, and an empty spot next to him. The teen sighed rubbing his tired eyes and yawned feeling as if he had never had a better sleep than he had now. His mind a little disoriented, but once he focused enough he was able to think back to what had happened the previous night, and what had been talked about.

The raven haired teen had been so sympathetic it felt a bit weird, but then again, it hadn't been the first time. His face flushed recalling memories of the past couple of months and the times that Eddward had cared for him, sometimes it made him wonder if he did it out of plain guilt. _Most likely…_

He wondered about how Eddward was feeling at the moment, after having their talk. It must have brought painful memories back, and he couldn't help but feel guilty about it as well. Adults were so…messed up. Having kids they don't even want only to abandon them and leave them to suffer alone. It only when to show just how strong Eddward really was mentally and emotionally. The all mighty Eddward had to deal with all these emotions and confusing thoughts and loneliness and oh my god, how had this kid lived this entire time when Kevin couldn't even maintain his state of mind over his mother being alive.

Again the alarming carvings on his beautiful tanned skin flashed through his memory. It hurt to look at them, it really did. So most of the time Kevin would ignore them, and pretend they weren't there and that Eddward's suffering wasn't physically engraved for the rest of his life on his arms. Yet last night in the middle of the night, Kevin had stirred awake finding himself facing the swimmer, and Eddward's arm laying between them.

A chill had ran through him as he stared directly at the scars, memories of the night he had ran to confront the raven haired and had seen him in such broken state. He had dreams about it still once in a while, ominous flashbacks to the time he saw Eddward about to jump, and when he had found him in the locker room shower. He'd dream about times when the taller teen might finally explode and actually go through with it on the nights they were far apart making Kevin unable of rushing to his aid.

 _"I don't have a family, haven't had one in years...why should I live a life I was never meant to live?"_

He'd dream about the many things the taller teen had said, though the one statement that screamed at him the most as he stared at the moonlit scars on the boy's arm had been that one sentence…Besides Eddward's words, he now supported the freckled teen in reuniting with his own mother. Kevin couldn't begin to imagine the amount of pain this was causing Eddward…

Having Eddward this close to him that he could feel his body's warmth and hear his soft breathing relieved the ginger teen. Breathing out slowly he moved closer to the raven haired teen hoping not to wake him and placed his cheek on the other's hand and wrapped a hand around his arm full of past wounds hugging it close to his chest.

"… _but everyone deserves a second chance right?"_

He had thought back as he closed his eyes once again, feeling the other's pulse and the bumps of the scars on his freckled fingers. Had that meant Eddward had given himself a second chance? Did this mean he was ready to not give up on this life? Did this mean Kevin had done it?

As much as he (in the far back of his mind) hoped to find the presence of the other next to him it was always the same when morning came. Eddward would no longer be there, he would be up and about doing something around the place, just he imaged he was doing right now hearing noises from below.

This whole thing was still so weird to him, the way he and Eddward's interaction had suddenly become friendly. It was as if the old Eddward had been a completely different person, someone who he used to know as his tormentor… the very being that brought hell to him daily. This Eddward was so nice, and caring… it was weird, not that he was complaining of course, in fact he loved it. Ever since that night he had gone to confront him, the taller teen seemed to actually want to change, let him in instead of pushing him away as he had done so many times before.

Now that he thought about it, there was only a little over a month left before their Junior year began…was it all going to be the same? Was he going to have to suffer Jimmy and Johnny's wrath once the school year started again? Was Eddward going to turn his back on him again? Was this whole thing temporary? The gentleness, the caring, the fondness they shared on harder days?

Eddward had brought him up to his cabin for crying out loud…by the look of yesterday when they arrived, it was his own personal space. What did this mean for Kevin? Had the guy brought anyone else up here before? Was _this_ even ok?

He pulled up the blanket to cover his head and groaned feeling frustrated from the amount of thoughts and questions first thing in the morning. Perhaps it would be best to just get up and start their first official day at the cabin.

Just as he thought the Raven haired had prepared their breakfast and was sitting down with a book in hand. The very first thing he noticed besides those same focused ocean eyes, was the fact that Eddward had his hair tied up that caused it to form into a small bundle of curls. Beanie was nowhere in sight since the previous day. The look was cute quite honestly, the thought making him smile "Morning, smells good" he hummed as he picked up a plate and began to place some scrambled eggs, fruit and toast.

"Good Morning, how are you feeling?" Eddward asked flipping the page of his book.

Kevin took a seat across the other took a bite humming again at the delicious food this secret professional chef could make. "Better than I have in like a century" he smirked "What are you reading?" he asked looking at the cover of the book and noticed the Title was in Spanish?

"It's called Cien Años de Soledad translates to one hundred years of solitude" He said nonchalantly turning the book and looking at the cover. "It's a very well-known novel around the world"

He hummed recalling if he had heard of the name before "Really? Wait are you fluent in Spanish?" he asked surprised stuffing his mouth with fruit.

"Yes, and French, though I wouldn't call myself fluent relatively yet" Eddward responded like it was absolutely nothing to be so surprised over.

Kevin set his fork down and made an explosion sound followed by a gesture of his hands "Mind fucking blown" he said staring at the other in awe "You're just fucking full of surprises and secret talents aren't you, when did you even have time to study TWO languages?"

"No I am not, and technically I only had to study one." He mumbled taking a bite of toast then continuing as he saw the raised eyebrow on the ginger's face clearly wanting more of an explanation "My mother's Guatemalan, born and raised in the U.S. however. I grew up bilingual due to mother"

"Wasn't that confusing?" He asked curiously finishing the eggs.

"Not really, it was natural I suppose…Maybe she was just a good teacher…" setting down the book the raven haired teen began to trail away.

 _Shit..._ Kevin thought "SO what are we doing today?" he asked cheerfully changing the subject.

Eddward sat up raising an eyebrow at the other in surprise to his sudden enthusiasm "Hm? I believed you mentioned wanting to explore the area last night, so we could hike up the mountain if you'd like"

"Yeah! That sounds good" he hummed finishing his food and swinging his legs back and forth. "By the way like the ponytail" he chuckled as he saw the flushed on the other's face at the comment.

...

Within an hour they were both ready to go out. Apparently the hike would take them quite a while to do, and they had prepared their bags full of any essentials as well as small snacks and water bottle. Kevin followed Eddward out of the cabin and slowly began their journey through the woods. They walked in peaceful silence for a while, only with the sole company of the wild animals around them. "Are there any other cabins around?" Kevin asked out of the blue as he noticed the quietness of the area.

"Around this side of the mountain no, but there are some on the other side of the lake" Eddward responded

"Where's the lake?" he questioned as he realized that sound of the water beginning to fade.

"10 minute walk down the mountain, there's also a smaller one up here with a waterfall" He announced remembering.

Kevin made a small voice of excitement and hopped a little "Let's go then" he grabbed Eddward's hand and pulled him along the trail.

Eddward tensed at the touch of the freckled hand "Slow down Barr, you'll trip" he said relaxing and leaning into the warm hand. He never wanted to let go of the teen's small hand. The physical contact was a way to assure him that the teen was alive and well, and the only way he be one hundred percent sure was through this small touch. He gently wrapped his slender fingers around the small pale ones. "It's a thirty minute hike" he said getting a weird mix of twists and swirls in his stomach.

"No problem we got all the time in the world" the ginger mumbled starring up at the trees trying to ignore the slight trembling of his hands and praying the other wouldn't notice. "I wonder how old these trees are?" he asked randomly.

Eddward followed the other gaze up and stared as well seeing a squirrel jumping around "Much older than 200 years most likely"

Kevin hummed in response "God, imagine having to live that long…what would you do if you had 200 years to live?"

Eddward raised an eyebrow at the ginger teen. He could tell something else was on the smaller teen's mind especially from the faint tremble of his hand. "Not sure… travel perhaps"

"Is that what you're planning after high school?" Kevin slightly tugged at the slender hand.

The raven haired paused a moment, intrigued by Kevin's sudden interests these random questions. "Well, perhaps…" he began thinking that literally 2 months ago he hadn't thought this far ahead in his life, but it hadn't been until recently that he had actually made plans. "As of right now based on my academic success and by upholding a swimming scholarship I have two options I could stay and go to Harvard probably" He paused noticing the loss in speed in Kevin's steps "or I could go to Oxford"

Kevin tensed at the mention of Oxford… both universities were far, but if Eddward decided to go to Oxford, well he'd be unreachable…"But…what do _you_ want to do? What do you want to major in?" Kevin stopped in his tracks and looked back at the teen. Kevin was happy to hear the teen did indeed plan to strive for something in life, but he wondered if he would have any support from his parents. Though he was curious of the situation, he didn't ask because he was done talking about parents. He just wanted to focus on Eddward.

Eddward stared at him for a long moment confused by the sudden questions "…I haven't decided yet" he spoke slowly. They stared at each other for a long moment with simply the faint sounds of the leaves rustling about "What are you planning after high school?" he finally broke the silence.

Blinking out of a trance Kevin thought on the question "I…I don't know. I mean there are lots of Universities I want to go to, but you know I kind of need the scholarships and all."

"And if you had 200 years to live?" Eddward returned his question

Kevin was silent for a moment thinking "Honestly I don't even know what I'm going to do with the 60 years I have" he chuckled.

Eddward breathed in "Live" he responded. He'd thought that this kid had a million things on his list.

Kevin chuckled beginning to walk once again "Yeah that's all we can do" he hummed softly "live and make the most out of this life"

Eddward trailed behind a little, not wanting to walk by the other's side because that way the hand holding could be interpreted as simply dragging him along. "What's with all the questions?" he asked softly.

The raven haired felt the grip on his hand tighten slightly nervously "no reason, just making conversation" he smiled

"Hm…" Eddward breathed out. He wondered what the ginger boy was thinking about. He had figured Kevin would be much more open to him after their talk last night. Perhaps it was something else other than his mother? He'd have to figure it out because having an anxious Kevin was unacceptable.

About twenty minutes of pure silence and hand holding, Eddward was now the one walking slightly in front leading the way. Kevin followed looking around the forest making a note of every turn they made. "We're almost there" he mumbled slightly turning his head towards the other.

"Ok…" Kevin responded holding onto the hand a little tighter as uncertain thoughts filled his mind. They had been bothering him since the morning, however it wasn't unusual knowing far well that in a couple of days it was his birthday. He didn't even know if he wanted to mention it to Eddward yet, he didn't want to celebrate not with everything that had happened but he did want something else. A clear explanation from his father, he wanted his father to tell him his side of the story, something he hadn't done yet for some reason. Mr. Barr in steady been closed off more so than ever and it only fueled Kevin's anger. The only thing comforting him was the gentle caress of the other's hand which served to keep him grounded as his thoughts had him flouting about.

A little bit further and they began to hear the splashing of a waterfall "Sounds high" he said peeking out through the trees until he saw a glimpse of the waterfall. A tall cliff with a narrow waterfall fell hitting their skin with little droplets of water as they neared the area "woah" he breathed out "This is amazing"

"Indeed, this is why I enjoy coming up here as much as I can throughout the year" Eddward announced softly.

Kevin gave the raven haired a soft smile before breathing in and finally deciding to let go of Eddward's hand. "I bet the water's nice enough to swim huh?" he questioned bending down and lightly touching the beautifully clear water of the lake. He hadn't seen the King of sharks swim in the longest time, he missed seeing how free and graceful Eddward looked when in the water. Anyone in Peach Creek High would confess it was quite the sight to behold.

Eddward chuckled "As much as I'd loved to jump in now, I think we could go out for a swim another day and be more properly prepared" he awkwardly played with his fingers unknowing what to do with his now free hand.

"That would be great…" Kevin mumbled softly "But I'm gonna dip my feet in just a little" he quickly said placing his backpack down and taking his shoes off. He saw a big rock a bit further up and walk over to it.

"Don't fall in" the taller teen called out setting his own backpack down and kneeling down carefully observing the ginger teen jumping from rock to rock. Kevin had sat down and rolled up his pants then slowly placed his feet in smiling wide at the refreshing touch of the cool water. Sometimes Kevin was too…pure for his own good Eddward though smirking at the completely joyful expression the other carried. And sometimes he thought this was all a dream and that reality were actually those pesky nightmares. 'This entire thing is too good to be true' was something that he would tell himself on a daily basis to remind himself not to get carried away.

The trembling had seemed to stop halfway through their hike, but he could tell the boy was still unfocused. He sighed before taking his shoes off as well and walking over to join the teen as well. Kevin was splashing his feet gently back and forth as he took photos of the scenery on his phone. "You're so lucky you can come up here whenever you want…I mean this is such a gorgeous place, and there's even Wi-Fi in the cabin. If I were you I'd never leave" Kevin chuckled acknowledging the other's company.

Eddward shook his head with a smile "I'd love to, but I wouldn't be able to escape my responsibilities back in Peach Creek"

Kevin raised an eyebrow "What big responsibilities do you have?"

The taller teen paused a moment hesitating on how to answer the question. "Well, there's Ms. Adams…School…and other things" he mumbled softly leaning back on his bands.

The smaller teen hunched over staring down at the water questioning what the other things were…but he decided to leave it be for now. "What's on your mind Barr?" he suddenly heard the raven haired speak.

Kevin turned to face him confused "What do you mean?" he stilled his light splashing.

Eddward leaned forward staring at Kevin with a stern look "You've seemed anxious since the morning…is it about your mother?" he asked

Kevin blushed feeling embarrassed that he was so easy to read. He had thought he had kept his cool for the most part but clearly that wasn't the case. "No, It's nothing important so don't worry about it" he gave a reassuring smile back to the taller teen then began his splashing again as he hummed softly trying to avoid the question.

The taller teen once again leaned forward lifting his feet and crossing them raising a brow at the other. Did he really think he'd get away from talking about whatever was wrong with him when literally last night he had done the opposite? Inhaling deeply he called out "Kevin…"

Kevin slowly looked up to stare at the other and gave him a lopsided smirk "Really, it's nothing important"

"Really? Something so insignificant has been bothering you enough to make you uneasy" he mumbled returning the smile to Kevin.

The smaller teen once again blushed from embarrassment as he cleared his throat unsure of what to say.

"Kevin" Eddward spoke softly "Speak what's on your mind"

Kevin scratched at the nape of his neck still unsteady, he really didn't want to bother Eddward further and god it would be so awkward telling him it was his birthday very soon. "H-have you seen your parents at all since they left?" he asked changing the subject.

Kevin swore he saw a hint of a scowl on the other's features, however the raven haired teen seemed to calm his possible anger at the mention of his parents quickly enough. Eddward sighed and ran a hand through his long tied up raven locks as he stared at the forest from the other side of the lake. "I've briefly seen father throughout the years…he irregularly works in Peach Creeks Hospital" the teen lifted his wrist in sight and jiggled it a little. Kevin stared at the arm realizing quickly Eddward was indicating he had gone to the hospital due to the cutting... Did this mean Eddward's father was _aware_ of his son's hurting?

The realization made Kevin beyond nauseous. This man was revolting… "Irregularly?" he asked slowing touching his stomach.

Eddward had lowered his arm and was now staring at it "Hm, yes" he pulled his attention back to the other "He travels to many different hospitals around the world" he clarified.

"A-and your mom?" he quietly asked unsure if Eddward was willing to speak about himself anymore.

Eddward turned slightly to face him and his lips formed a sad smile. His ocean eyes had looked at his for a second before turned to stare at the water "No…I haven't seen her since" he spoke heartbrokenly.

Kevin nearly whimpered at that sad expression. Was this why Eddward was encouraging him to give his mom a second chance? "Do you miss her?" he asked grabbing ahold of the others hand once again terrified that any second Eddward would return to being the closed off person he once was.

Eddward squeezed the freckled hand tightly "Of course…" he whispered so lowly as if he was afraid that even the trees surrounding them would become aware of this weakness.

Kevin leaned in his own eyes tearing up again…It was just so unfair…a child so young and malleable had been denied love from the very people who had brought him into this world. He had been rejected, abandoned, and hated…no explanation given…this reality was too painful.

Yet, he was thankful for Eddward's honestly. He needed someone to be honest with him for once in his life no matter how heartbreaking the truth was. He sniffed as he stared out at their perfectly still feet in the water, the ripples deforming their natural shape.

Before he realized it he had Eddward's fingers wiping at his teary eyes. He looked up confused and flustered at the intimate gesture. "Don't cry anymore, you've cried enough already" he warmly smiled.

Then for a slip second something gripped Kevin's chest _tightly_ , he couldn't breathe, think or speak. Nervous chuckles were the only thing that came out after he felt the tightness in his chest dissolve. "I guess huh…" he stared down at the water again suddenly hyper aware of the closeness of the other, his sigh of relief and…the hand that still held his own. Quickly he splashed the water with a strong swing of his feet and pulled them up and close to his chest.

Eddward pulled his hand away wiping the water that Kevin had splashed him with. He chuckled hearing the other being to laughing along. "We're going to get hella wrinkly feet if we keep them in the water any longer" Kevin stated.

With that the boy's got up and continued their hike around the mountain. To the ginger's fascination they were able to find many gorgeous areas around. They found a small cave, and more deer, as well as mountain lion footprints (identified by Eddward of course). To which Kevin wanted to go looking for the lion, but the idea was turned down by the raven haired. Their favorite place by far was the cliff that overlooked the entire town of Walnut Creek. They had sat down for a good hour resting and eating at their snacks and lightly talking. When they returned home, they both simply had some left over burgers from the previous night too tired to make anything else and headed straight to bed…in their separate rooms.

…

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! These precious kids r gonna be the death of me lolol_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated!**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels! :3**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	36. Chapter 36

**_Play Wildfire by Natalie Taylor (This entire get away was included into the story b/c this song inspired it, especially the last little bit)_**

* * *

By now the boys had spent three full days in Eddward's cabin. It had been an enjoyable time if you asked either of them. They would spend nearly all day together lightly chatting or simply enjoying the others company in silence. Kevin had insisted on having Eddward speak and teach him Spanish as well as some French. So they had sat around the coffee table in the living room and began their little lessons. Kevin, by no means was good with pronunciation and it brought out many smiles and chuckled from the raven haired who was quickly finding their lesson very amusing. Before they knew it they had both fallen asleep on the floor into the late hours of the night and when Eddward woke up at five in the morning he couldn't seem to break his stare from the sleeping teen next to him for a very long time. It made him content to see that the kid was gaining color to his pale skin, and that his eye bags were disappearing. Every day that passed Kevin seemed to _get better_ and Eddward wouldn't have it any other way.

One another evening, they decided to watch Netflix on Eddward's laptop since they didn't have a television. As they were scrolling through Kevin suggested that they should watch a horror movie, and Eddward made the comment that Kevin wouldn't be able to sleep if they did. So, of course little Kevin took that as a challenge and they made a bet of whoever got scared first would win 10 bucks and with that their horror movie marathon began. Kevin had really tried...but second movie in he just couldn't and ended up hiding behind Eddward's shoulder. The taller teen had chuckled leaning forward to make room for the other to hide behind and only after the movie had ended did he say "I win". That night they ended up spending the night in the living room once again as Eddward had fallen asleep third movie in (they had switched to an action film) with Kevin cuddled close to the swimmer as there wasn't much room to lay down on the couch.

It was dark and ominous in the dark hours of the cabin yet the quietness bought the raven haired some tranquility. He had stepped out into porch downstairs one night finding himself unable to sleep, oddly enough it had been a night the two teens had slept in their separate rooms. Faint hoots of owls could be heard in the distance, and the slow cool breeze rustled the branches of the tall trees. Leaning back in one of the chairs Eddward closed his eyes letting the serenity of the night absorb him in. It was second best to how he felt deep underwater, though there was a suffocating feeling from being underwater that used to please him far more than the quiet. The suffocation of being submerged had been gratifying because it encompassed punishment for every bad thing he has done up to that point, and at the same time relief because he could be mere moments away from escaping his life. He had first experienced this feeling during his first attempt.

His first suicidal attempt…

It was all supposed to happen so fast, nothing was supposed to get in the way. He had walked to the Peach Creek beach one November evening, no pedestrian in sight, nothing but the shinning stars quickly coming into to view as the last rays of the sun hid under the horizon. He had lightly touched at the side of his head feeling the stiches of the injury from hitting his head on a rock after being attacked by his so called friend and abandoned. _That_ had been the last straw, the one thing to break him completely. Everything he could have imagined had gone wrong, nothing would get better at this point. _That_ and everything else was what had finally driven him to walk here and end it.

He had taken his shoes and his infamous black stripped beanie as well as his sweatshirt off and randomly placed down. His ocean blue eyes too hypnotized by the beauty of the water, an proceeded to take small steps forward. The cold water tickled his feet sending chilling sensations through his body finally realizing the tears that had been held captive for so long. She understood him, she was cold and crying too, she was inviting and welcoming to his pathetic emotions. So he let her hold him as he dived in the water feeling the water envelope his body completely in a powerful embrace. He rose above the shallow water then let himself slowly sink watching the night sky disappear in a mixture of haziness. He was scared wondering if anyone cared? If there was anyone out there who would miss his existence? The water's intense pressure was then beginning to choke him and when he had tried to cry out he realized that this was it. He was never getting peace, dead or alive. So he submitted to the water's dominance and let himself be taken by her.

That was how it was supposed to have ended, but a mixture of orange and green had invaded his blurry vision and when he woke up he was in a white room with tubes shoved up his nostrils and through his mouth. It had been an unpleasant couple of days though thankfully his father hadn't been in town during that time.

Eddward opened his eyes slowly looking around his surroundings as he heavily panted becoming conscious he had relived his first attempt. His cold hands trembled in his lap overwhelmed by the emotions he had felt that night. He had been unconditionally scared, scared of what was to come after death, of being in the dark for all eternity, and for dying without having anyone to apologize and say goodbye to.

Now the mere thought of having even attempted petrified him. He was now in a somewhat peaceful state of mind thanks to a certain sleeping ginger. Though, that didn't guarantee him anything in the future. He was still in the beginning stages of transition, and he had yet to figure out what road to walk or what he wanted or who he was. Kevin was holding onto his hand in a grip that seemed to tighten with every moment they spent together. The teen was aiding him in keeping him calm and contained, but how long would this last? What will happen when the new school years begins? Will he be yet too cowardly to stand up and fight or will he continue to be Sam's puppet? What will happen after they graduate, surely they would go different paths but without Kevin around will he be able to continue to be stable?

The swimmer let out a small whimper as he lowered himself further in the seat and covered his eyes with his hand. It was thanks to Kevin that he had finally begun to look into the future, and after Kevin's recent incident he feared death more than ever. Death had lightly scraped it's long nails across Kevin's small body, and now Eddward wanted nothing more than to keep death away from the ginger. This mission however required him to be alive, so for the first time in a long time from the moment he had seen Kevin's fragile body in the hospital bed he stopped thinking of dying. He resented it, he _hated_ it.

Nothing was going to hurt Kevin anymore, because he _deserved_ nothing but happiness. Eddward was going to make sure of it, and anything that tried to get in the way was going to get through him first.

He clenched his hands into fist tightly, no longer shaky, and looked inside. Inside there was the one human being to care for him for the first time in his pitiful life. Inside was the one person who had so stubbornly stuck with him and genuinely enjoyed being with him. Inside Kevin Barr was blissfully asleep.

.

.

.

In the afternoon they decided to travel down the mountain after a lazy morning having coffee and going over Spanish vocabulary. Throughout the morning Eddward noticed the ginger constantly looking at his phone and quirked an eyebrow at him and asked "Have some where special to be?" he asked smiling as he placed his cheek on the palm of his hand listening to Kevin attempting to pronounce _desarrollo._ It was beyond amusing watching the difficulty of the other trying to roll his R's.

Kevin had looked up with a confused look "uh yeah, back in my bed cause I'm getting a headache with this fucking r" he giggled.

"Well then how about you put those vocabulary cards down and tell me what you want to do today?" Eddward swirled his spoon in the coffee mug.

At this the ginger lightened up his eyes shining with excitement "Let's go down to the lake! It's really hot today anyways. It'll be great" As much as he wanted to dip him feet in the water Kevin honestly kind of just wanted to see the other swim.

"I hope the heat doesn't get any worse" The raven haired groaned collecting the vocabulary words into a pile and handing them to the ginger "last time it got this hot was four years ago" he rubbed a hand on the back of his head feeling light traces of sweat. "I feel disgusting..." He mumbled.

The ginger boy giggled "yeah that was pretty bad, good thing intense heat is rare here. Must be global warming" he picked up at the pile of cards and placed them safely inside a cupboard. "So it's a yes?" He quirked a smirk.

"Certainly" he huffed.

...

The teens walk close to each other as they made their way down to the lake. The teen walking fast paced desperately wanting to get to the refreshing water and escape the tormenting heat.

As the lake finally came into view Kevin impatiently jumped up "Finally!" He yelped and made a run for it. "FIRST ONE IN THE WATER IS FRIED CHICKEN!"

"Fried chicken?" Eddward continued to walk normally chuckling at the childish remark.

"Yeah, that's what you'll be if you don't take cover from this fucking sun!" The smaller teen called out taking his hat and glasses off and placing them under a giant tree that gave enough shadow to over a small section of the lake. He kicked his shoes off and dropped his towel feeling much cooler under the shade and the water tickling his feet. He recalled back to a couple days ago when they had gone up the mountain and had talked about Eddward's parents. They hadn't discussed anything further since, but Kevin had noticed that the raven haired teen seemed to be more comfortable even by a small fraction. For example he didn't tense when they touched anymore. Kevin smiled down at his blurry reflection and turned to see Eddward finally joining him. "I win"

"Indeed, though you should have bet those ten dollars you lost the other night" Eddward smirked kicking his shoes off as well.

Kevin frowned "Damn it I missed a perfectly good opportunity...but you're fried chicken from now on" he chuckled.

"Yeah yeah whatever you say little fourth grader" he smiled and ruffled the short ginger hair. "It's been a while since I went for a swim" feeling the water at his feet brought him joy, though with the nightmare of his memories the previous night he couldn't fully enjoy the water's calming sensations. "Come on" he said quickly taking his shirt off and tossing it behind him. He swan further into the water until it became profound and then dived in.

With his eyes closed he could clearly feel the same sense of suffocation he had felt in his memories, no longer pleasantness but chilling. He quickly rose back up and breathed in heavily looking up at the cloudless sky above. He tried to get his mind off the memory and straighten up looking over at Kevin who was elbow deep in the water clearly still able to lightly touch the ground. The little ginger seemed distracted once again as he was staring at the pile of their belongings. "Everything ok?" he asked cautiously looking around to see if there was something that had spooked the teen.

"Hm?" Kevin turned back around "Oh yeah, just wondering if some random deer might come by and snatch our stuff" He lied.

Eddward smirked back "Uh huh, don't worry Barr they'll probably run off when they smell our sweaty shirts"

Kevin laughed out "Probably"

"Come over here the waters nice" he gestured with his head, tilting it a bit.

The small teen leaned back sinking in a little in the water "Nah, I'm not that great of a swimmer, this is my limit" he chuckled "nearly drowned once now that I think about it"

Curious Eddward swam closer to the other "When?"

"Mm… let me think" Kevin kicked his feet a little "I think it was about three years ago?"

Eddward tensed up realizing that was around the same time his first attempt happened "Let me guess, you were out with your little girlfriend at Peach Creek Beach one summer day and you wanted to show off. So you swim into the deep end?"

Kevin chuckled "ooh you were so close, actually I was with Rolf remember him?" He asked

"Your blue haired friend right?"

"Yeah, that's him." Kevin gave a sad smile. It had been months since he had last skyped with the guy. "Um, we were walking by the beach because it was the one year anniversary of my grandpa's death and the last thing I wanted was to hear my dad crying in his room, so I called up Rolf and went out."

"How'd you go from taking a stroll down town to almost drowning?" Eddward asked

Kevin let out a small laugh "Funny story…kind of, though not really…" he mumbled "I saw some guy swimming out and I thought well isn't that stupid it's fucking November who'd want to swim in freezing water"

At this the raven haired froze in his spot carefully watching the ginger pause in his story remembering "Indeed" he said stupidly.

"Anyways as the mighty Barr man that I am I ran in when I saw he wasn't coming back up to the surface, and naturally I panicked" he chuckled out.

"Always the hero aren't you?" Eddward replied

"Haha…well if Rolf hadn't ran after me we'd both me dead" Kevin lowered his eyebrows "So I guess this is my second near death experience"

"You do realize there were far better and safer alternatives to help, right?" the taller teen said guilt washing over him once again.

"Well yeah, but I panicked and I don't think straight like that." He gave the other a look "He would have died for sure if we hadn't gone out there…and I don't think I could live with myself if that happened"

"You nearly drowned Kevin"

"And I've also nearly died of an overdosed…" Kevin anxiously turned his head away "Seems to me I've been able to cheat death twice already"

"…You can't cheat death forever" Eddward still shaken by the story mumbled out.

"Well, Jimmy and Johnny seemed to strongly believe I'm a cat with nine lives" Kevin chuckled out "I wouldn't be surprised if it happens a third time"

"It won't" Eddward suddenly spoke out

The little ginger raised an eyebrow at him "…How are you so sure?"

Eddward hesitated in his response, unsure if he should make any promises he may not keep "…I'll make sure it won't…" he lowered his eyes to see Kevin's blurred reflection on the water.

Kevin stared at Eddward for the longest time. Was he telling him the truth? Will he be able to keep his word? "Hey, don't go and say things you don't mean" he chuckled.

Eddward made eye contact with him then and there. A stare so determined and strong it surprised Kevin and suddenly he was seeing the intensity of those blue orbs he used to fear. They were eyes that could kill "You have my word…Kevin"

The other gulped unsure if he should fully trust Eddward with this statement… "Do you remember what I told you back in your bedroom?" he asked making sure Eddward was aware what would happen if he broke this promise.

 _"Look, I want to help you. I really really do...but I have to make this clear. I will not tolerate another act like that again"_

"Yeah I remember" he said slowly yet firmly.

Kevin continued to stare bewildered by this reassurance "Ok" his hands were somewhat shaky under the warm water because he wouldn't know what he would do if someone else lied to him again, If Eddward abandoned him once again, and if his trust was thrown out to the trash. Well, let's just say Kevin would surely be making more appointments with Dr. Garcia. "Ok…" he repeated.

He felt Eddward grab at his hand and give him a reassuring squeeze and he held on tighter as if to make his point more clearly and waited to see if the taller teen would take it back. However, Eddward just silently held his hand just as tightly "…ok" he whispered out.

They stayed silent for a couple more long minutes before Eddward began to slowly pull Kevin out into the deeper parts of the water. Kevin was afraid but he knew Eddward was there, holding him close, so he let him drag him along. The swimmer placed a gentle hand on his slender freckled back and tilted him having Kevin float in the water. The ginger stared intently up at the sky, the heat long forgotten and focused solely on the other's calming voice giving him instructions.

Before they knew it the afternoon had begun to get slightly cooler and they decided to finally get out of the water and lay down under the tree's shade. "You would make a great teacher you know that?" he asked looking up at the still sunny sky.

"No I wouldn't" the taller teen mumbled

"Yeah you would…You've been teaching me a lot of things recently…and you're really good at it" Kevin gave the other a soft smile.

Eddward sigh out returning the smaller teen's smile "If you say so"

They once again stayed silent for a long moment before making their way back up to the cabin and changing. As Eddward made dinner, Kevin resumed his former study of Spanish and French vocabulary. "Hey, I think I can finally say something in French" he called out excitedly from the couch.

Eddward turned his head "Alright let's hear it" he said

Kevin smiled and cleared his throat "… _Je vous remercie_ " he slowly spoke out.

For a moment the raven haired teen flushed completely before returning to his task of stirring the pasta and trying his hardest to surpass a goofy smile "Sounds great" he finally called out proud his voice sounded natural.

After they ate and joked around as they cleaned up the kitchen Kevin began to get silent remembering their earlier conversation in the lake. He sat on the couch his legs crossed and the deck of vocab card messily all over the couch. Eddward sat close to him on the floor reading a novel. "Hey Eddward?" he spoke out.

"Need help?" Eddward asked putting his novel down and looking up.

"N-no…um" he stuttered placing down the card he had in hand "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything" Eddward shifted his body around to face the ginger above.

The smaller teen could feel the warmth from his flushed cheeks embarrassed to ask the question. He placed a hand to his left cheek and breathed in "um..." He began "A-Are we...you know...f-friends now?" He asked looking down at the pile of cards in his lab too embarrassed to make eye contact.

It seemed that it was embarrassing for the other as well as he turned away not looking at him. Kevin thought he wasn't going to answer or that he was going to say something else. Damn it, he shouldn't have asked. In a small voice Eddward finally spoke "I hope so" he mumbled out.

Kevin looked up seeing the edges of the others ears bright red and smiled finding it endearing "Good to know" he mumbled out feeling a rush of a fluttery feeling overwhelm his stomach. He was giddy and happy but he tried to surpass it "can I say something else?"

"...of course" the Raven haired said lowly still facing away and ears burning redder.

"…tomorrow's my birthday…" he whispered out pretending to study the word on the card. He flipped it over and read the definition of the word nonchalantly.

Eddward now turned to face the ginger above and looked at him curiously. Kevin had no trace of caring much of his own birthday, and clearly didn't want to celebrate but Eddward knew better. "Come with me" he said standing up and pulling on a zip up hoodie.

Surprised at the sudden rush Kevin followed the other in a hurry leaving the card to scatter all over the floor as he stood up and grabbed his zip up as well. "Eddward where are you going?" he quickly pulled on his shoes and ran after the raven haired teen, who was already out the door.

"You'll see" he called back taking out the battery lamp he had grabbed and turned it on. It had gotten pretty dark out now since the sun had gone down. "Come on"

"Wait up will you" Kevin stumbled tripping over rocks and his lose shoe laces. After a couple of moments trying to messily tie his laces he finally was able to catch up next to the raven haired teen. He looked up seeing the concentrated look on the other's face as if scanning through a map in his head. The ocean eyes moving quickly trying to recognize the path they walked through.

He placed his hands in his pockets following the other's lead without any questions. He looked around the area hearing the animals rustle about the dark forest. He inched closer to the taller teen brushing their arms together as they walked, too shy to take him by the hand.

"This way" Eddward pulled him over out the path they walk and stumbled through bushes. Once they made it through there was a huge clearing of plain grass that had a gorgeous view of the night sky. The stars twinkled brightly like polished diamonds and the moon the center of attention with its lovely presence illuminating them.

Kevin wondered how many times had Eddward come up here alone to stare at this beautiful scenery. "You know I still haven't shown you my favorite spots…but so far you definitely win again" he spoke unable to tear away his stare from the sky

Eddward stared down at the smaller teen enjoying his happy expression. Now that was a face he wanted to see all the time. "Happy Birthday" he whispered out now looking up as well.

Kevin eyes widen and turned to see the other a blushing creeping up his face. No way did he ever think he would hear the mighty king of sharks wish him a Happy Birthday. "I-It's not my Birthday yet..." he laughed nervously.

"It will be in a couple of hours" he smirked placing his hands in his pants pockets.

The little ginger couldn't stop smiling " _Je vous remercie"_ He whispered out and continued to look up. How was it that Eddward knew the right things to say or do, how in the hell was this guy standing next to him right now ever a tormenting bully. It didn't make sense but he hoped he kept it up even when school began.

"Kevin" Eddward spoke out "There's something else I want to show you"

"Hey, you don't have to. This is enough" Kevin chuckled looking over the other, but shut his mouth when he saw the serious expression Eddward looked at him with. "W-what is it?" he asked quietly.

Eddward moved closer and towered over him reminding little Kevin of the when Eddward would corner him at school. Now he remembered… "E-Eddward what are y-you doing?" he nervously asked.

"Put your hands up" Eddward grabbed his arms and placed them in front of Kevin's face "Tuck in your chin, that's how people easily get knocked out and bend your knees keeping a strong stance" Eddward's used his legs to get Kevin to bend "This way you will be covering your center line. Anything that comes through the middle will hit your hands" He lightly punched Kevin's freckled hands. "If their holding anything sharp and they hit you with a hook, you have two options" He extended Kevin's arm out "You want to block their hit like this" he demonstrated lighting connecting their hits together "or slip under the attack and if you have the chance at any moment runaway"

"I know you can take a punch, but running away safely should be your number one priority throughout the entire time. Constantly move, and slip away from attacks, and use your legs" Eddward demonstrated lightly kicking at Kevin's knees "Demotivate them to continue their attacks by kicking at their knees"

Kevin was stunned at the sudden instructions, trying to quickly store all of it in his mind. He nodded his head and listened intently doing as Eddward told him. "If they have a knife to your throat, they most likely won't hurt you immediately so" Eddward placed a hand on Kevin neck. It was then he had felt the same fearful sensation he had back in Eddward's bedroom when he had barely touched his neck, though now it entire hand touched his skin. In a rush of panicked Kevin quickly slapped his hands away and stumbled backward falling down on the ground.

Eddward had gone speechless seen the extreme fear Kevin stared up at him with. It was painful to see, nearly making him want to cry because he had caused this. The raven haired teen bent down and gently placed a hand on the other's arm "It's ok…I'm not going to hurt you" he said.

Kevin calmed down after a moment "I-I k-know" he breathed out shakily "I just…" he whimpered remembering all the time Eddward and Jimmy had choked him.

Seeing the fear saddened the taller teen and frowned "I understand…but you need to beat this Kevin…you have to"

With crystal eyes Kevin nodded and tried to hold himself together as he saw Eddward raise his hand back up and softly grab at his neck. The ginger could feel his entire body begin to tremble and a sense of suffocation tug at his lungs. He quickly began to shake his head in a plea to let him free and his left arm shot up trying to rip Eddward's hand away forcing the other to tighten their hold on him which only made Kevin panic more. The raven haired teen gently rubbed at the other's free hand trying to calm him down "I'm not going to hurt you Kevin" he whispered out calmingly.

Flashbacks of the chokings too strong for the teen to handle causing hot tears to run down his freckled face and that's when Eddward released his hold on him and enveloped him in a tight hug murmuring in his ear. "It's ok…it's ok…I'm sorry it's over now". To the swimmer's relief Kevin wrapped his arms around him too and sniffled into his neck. "I'm sorry" he continued to whisper out.

After a couple of minutes Kevin felt well again and leaned into the others embraces appreciating the warmth of it, his eyes wondered up to the sky and saw the once again gorgeous sight. He tightened his grip on Eddward's shoulders and closed his eyes relishing the moment for a little longer. "Again…" Kevin mumbled out after another moments of silence.

Eddward pulled back and rubbed the wet freckled cheeks gently "Are you sure?" he asked.

Kevin breathed in and nodded "Yeah I'm fine now" he stated firmly. Eddward was right. He needed to get over this.

"Ok" Eddward hesitantly raised his hand again and gave a look towards Kevin, who simple nodded again. So he lightly touched his neck before lightly gripping him. Once again, Kevin could feel the same feeling as before but he tried his very best to ignore it. _He's not going to hurt me, he's not going to hurt me, it's ok damn it_ he repeated in his head with his eyes closed tight. After moments of this he felt Eddward place his other hand on his neck. The feeling flooded him completely this time, it was hard to control. Kevin panted heavily and clung tightly onto the other's shirt trying not to kick.

A good couple of minutes of this and when Eddward heard Kevin's breathing calm down he let go and star at him with a wide smile "You did it" he commented.

Kevin opened his and stared up at the taller teen and smiled back. He was in a trance seeing those ocean eyes shine just as brightly as the stars above, they were just as beautiful. _He's not going to hurt anymore…_ Kevin said once again reassuring himself. "I did it" he leaned forward burying his face into Eddward's chest and hugging him tightly.

With a soft smile the raven haired teen rubbed at the ginger's back and gave little scratching movements on his ginger head "You did great Kevin"

"Hey Eddward" he mumbled turning his head to the side hearing the other's warm heartbeat.

"Hm?" the taller teen hummed in response enjoying the close contact.

"Thank you…" the little ginger smiled

Eddward let out a small chuckle "…I should be thanking you"

"You don't have to" he mumbled

"But I do" he chuckled again. So he breathed in and after moments of silence he finally said "Thank you…"

Kevin felt the arms tighten around him, so he welcomingly tightened his hold as well and leaned further in.

…

* * *

 ** _Je vous remercie: Thank you_**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please excuse any errors in this and in the future with wrong french wording, I'm just using google translate lol._**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! I really enjoyed writing this chapter :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels! :3**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	37. Chapter 37

_**Keane- Somewhere only we know (For the second half of this chapter)**_

* * *

When Kevin Barr woke up the next morning his body was sore because after their conquering Kevin's trauma moment they practiced a few more self-defense moves. He groaned sitting up while rubbing his eyes and looked around. He was in the bedroom...though he swore that they had fallen asleep once again on the couch. He remembered after their practice that they had lay down on the grass and watched the stars above in silence until it was one in the morning. They had headed back quietly in hand, the cool breeze kissing their skin and only the sound of their footsteps and rustling of leaves filled their ears as they walked back to the cabin. Too sleepy to walk any further they crashed on the couch, Kevin had closed his eyes and let himself be taken by sleep as he leaned further onto the others side not caring how close they were. He frowned feeling a small hint of disappointment having woken up somewhere else than where he had fallen asleep.

His freckled hands searched through the covers and under the pillow searching for his phone. Finding it tangled somewhere among the sheets he found that there was a missed call from Nazz with a couple of messages from his friends and his father. He smiled warmly at the messages and decided to give his father a call, now ready to hear the man's rusty voice.

"H-Hey dad, did I call at a bad time?" He asked knowing his dad was most likely at work. Hearing his father's chuckle lightened his nerves, he really couldn't be mad at his old man for long. They chatted for only for ten minutes Kevin excitedly telling him about their little adventures and simply hearing his father's happy voice filled him with joy. They were definitely going to have a better talk when Kevin returned home.

Once he had ended the call with his father he put down the phone to hear for any sounds from downstairs. By now he would normally hear noises from the kitchen, but today it was completely silent. Could it be that the raven haired teen was still asleep? He wouldn't be surprised the guy had to sleep in now and then right? So he decided to return the call from Nazz, who was probably ready to explode of excitement based on her message. "Kevin! Oh my god finally!" he heard the girl yelp.

"Well, good morning to you too" he chuckled in response

"Never Mind that! HAPPY BIRTHDAY you dork" she giggled loudly in excitement through the phone.

It was as if Kevin could feel her hug him tightly "Thanks Nazz" he smiled missing his best friend at the moment.

"How you've been? How's the cabin? Are you in some old creepy horror movie like cabin? Oh god does Eddward have some secret torment room? Oh my god, what if there are like a million dead bodies buried all over!" she shrieked clearly anxious about the get away with just him and the swimmer.

"Hey Hey calm down" he sighed "It's all good Nazz, no torment room, no dead bodies, and the cabin is nice as hell" the ginger laughed looking around the room "I'm alright, and I've already told you he not what he seems" Kevin thought back to everything he used to think Eddward was. A mother fucker who hated everyone and everything, a spoiled brat who didn't give a fuck about anything, an egocentric douchebag who enjoyed the pain of others…and well there was much more but he knew now there was so much more than the swimmer had let on. He was observant, thoughtful, gentle, and "actually sweet and caring…"

"…Are we talking about the same person? Or have you been kicked in the head really hard?" Kevin heard Nazz's confused and worried voice break his trance of thoughts.

"What?" he asked

"You just said he's actually sweet and caring…If there is one thing I know is that putting the name Eddward and the words Sweet and Caring in the same sentence is asking for a death sentence." The girl talked as if Kevin was actually crazy "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me. He's actually taking this seriously this time and he cares Nazz. I'm not saying this just because I'm delusional or whatever but I actually see it in him this time around" he paused thinking of the previous night "I know you don't believe me but he's _really_ changing for the better…" he smiled feeling a sense in pride in the other.

The blond girl gave a little sigh "…Fine, so long as he does his part in keeping you away from the J's"

"Nazz, I'm not doing this because I want something out of him" Kevin sat up straighter remembering what little details Eddward had told him about the weird system the bullies had. Somehow Jimmy was keeping Eddward in check even though Eddward lead their little gang. Also how there was that one big boss guy manipulating bullies from peach creek and lemon brook. "Something tells me there's only so much he can do…" he mumbled out wondering how much power this big guy had in their hands.

"What are you talking about? He's the leader I call bullshit if he isn't willing to stop making you their target." She responded angrily. "Kevin, I've told you he's isn't worth it"

"No, it's not that. It's just—there's so much you don't understa—"

"No Kevin, no, don't you dare tell me I don't understand. How many times have you told me that? Tell me then, tell me so I can understand" her voice fading from frustration to sadness.

Kevin felt so guilty not being able to tell his best friend these kinds of things. He couldn't, no wouldn't betray the teen's trust. These things were painful, scarce and private. He had no right to tell Eddward's pain to anyone else. Besides what would he be getting out of telling her everything else? She was impulsive and who knows what she would do with the information "I-I can't…" he spoke.

"…fine…fine then" Nazz voice was clearly heartbroken "you know what, it's fine…I-I don't want to spoil your birthday…just wanted to make sure you were ok and I hope you enjoy today"

The ginger boy frowned further "I'm sorry" he murmured looking down at his freckled hands.

He heard her breathe out softly "I love you ok?" she whispered out.

"I love you too" he said lovingly, wanting nothing more than to hug the girl tightly at the moment "and miss you too"

"yeah same, but hey I'll be back in three weeks" she seemed cheerful again "I'll drag your ass all over town to make up for the fun we've missed this summer"

Kevin groaned "I don't think sitting in a changing room waiting for you to make up your mind over a new skirt is what I would call fun" he chuckled "how about the first thing we do when you come back is buy two boxes of Hawaiian pizza, because it's your favorite, and we can spend the entire day by the beach?"

"YES!" she screeched loudly making Kevin remove the phone away from his now aching ear

"Cool, and you can tell me all about Mr. lover boy and how you both danced endlessly until the clock stroked twelve and you ran away and left a glass slipper behind" he laughed.

This had made the girl laughed along "Actually there was also fireworks" she giggled before going silent just hearing Kevin's breathing "please take care" she whispered out.

"I will" he smiled

…

The curious ginger teen made his way down stairs looking around for any potential signs of Eddward around the cabin. When he saw something in the middle of the table… as he made his way closer to it he began to recognize the item. He smiled fondly staring down at a chocolate strawberry shortcake. If there was one thing Kevin was weak against it was chocolate covered strawberries, but how the fuck did Eddward know?

Smiling he turned and scanned the inside of the cabin looking for the raven haired teen. No sign of him… he looked back down to the cake and surpassed the urge to pick up a strawberry and eat it. "Eddward" he called out looking out the porch and seeing nothing. He decided to step outside. Perhaps the teen was still out on a run.

He sat on the steps placing his hands on his cheeks waiting with a giant smile on his freckled face. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long because the raven haired came walking around the corner distracted with the phone in his hand. "Good Morning" Kevin called out with a smirk.

The taller teen clearly surprised by his presence jumped slightly. Kevin giggled into the palm of his hand unable to peel his eyes away from the sight. Eddward put his phone away in his jeans pocket blushing and moved his lips as if he was going to say something then closing them and walking closer. "Morning" he smirked awkwardly. He leaned against the porch and looked down at the small ginger without breaking contact with those bright green eyes.

Kevin hid a smile under the palm of his hand he leaned on staring back at the taller teen. "You didn't have to" he decided to break the silence first.

"I didn't have to do what, exactly?" the other teased crossing his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"You know, the _cake_ " Kevin smiled wider

"Ah" the raven haired nodded his head now turning his gaze out to the forest in front of them "And what makes you think I got it for you?" he continued to tease turning his attention back down.

At this Kevin rolled his eyes and stood up lightly punching Eddward on the arm and chuckling. "Thanks…again" he smiled up.

Eddward didn't really know what to say. He hadn't done something like this in years. The last time he had celebrated someone's birthday it had been Ed's and he had gotten him an entire completed edition of Ed's favorite comic book series. Now, Kevin? He had realized last night that he had no idea what Kevin liked besides his quiz bowl cap, robotics, and the music they shared in common. So at three in the morning he had carried the ginger to the bedroom to sleep more comfortably and he had headed to his own. Of course, he wasn't able to sleep, and instead contemplated on what to do. Around 6 in the morning he had received a message from Ed. They had exchanged numbers to Eddward's dislike, because if he was going to leave town Sam was obviously going to know about it and put someone else in charge of his designated area until his return. Ed was the one keeping careful watch and making sure no one was aware Kevin was with him. Besides the usual updates on any of Sam's followers, the brunette had also mentioned something at the bottom of his text which was exactly what he was looking for.

[BTW, IDK if he's told u but it's Kevin's BDAY today. He likes chocolate, strawberries & pancakes. U better make it good DD ;)]

The raven haired teen had frowned at the message annoyed with the brunette insisting on calling him Double D, but forgetting his frustration as he quietly made his way out to his car and drove down to Walnut Creek.

Eddward smiled down and ruffled the ginger hair "it's a miracle you don't have your silly hat on"

"I could say the same thing about you" the smaller teen raised an eyebrow and smirking

"Touché" he retreated his hand and shoved them into his jeans pockets "Come on, I'll make some pancakes for breakfast" he walked up the stairs past the other.

Kevin's ears perked up "Wait a second!" he called rushed back inside after the other "How the hell do you know?"

"Know what?" Eddward asked tying his hair back (which always seemed to bring a fluttery feeling to our little ginger teen).

"First a chocolate strawberry cake now pancakes! How do you know they're my favorite?" he lightly slammed his hands on the kitchen counter.

"Are they?" Eddward washed his hands with a smirk on his face. He hated to admit it but he thanked the tall brunette.

"Uh yeah"

"Hm, lucky guess I suppose" the raven haired teen shrugged his shoulders getting the supplies out.

"Bullshit" Kevin mumbled pouting a bit about the fact that Eddward wouldn't tell him how he had figured it out. Though that soon faded and his smile was back almost immediately as he watched the other begin. "Here, I'll help you" he said rushing to wash his hands.

The smaller teen playfully bump into Eddward taking the bowl with the mix from the other and continued to swirl the ingredients. The rest of their morning continued to be just as peaceful and playful, and Kevin wouldn't have it any other way. This wasn't the Eddward he had met back in freshman year…was simply Eddward. The one who cared and play fight, and had a wonderful smile that radiated for miles. Sometimes, little Kevin thought that the past two years have been a nightmare, because the Eddward now was so different…

They had enjoyed the cake sitting on the couch, leaning against one another and binge watching Stranger Things for the rest of the afternoon. They discussed over Barb's death having made Kevin mad and Eddward only laughed earning a shout from Kevin "Don't laugh!" and a small shove.

That little shove was the beginning of a wrestling match between the two. Eddward of course toning down his strength to let Kevin win. They pushed and shoved at each other, hands going all over the place and before he knew it their little match had ended just as quickly as it had begun. Kevin of course knew the other had been going easy on him and it made him remember the previous night when they had been practicing for real "Do you think I can actually win?" he asked looking down at his small hands.

Eddward knew Kevin was referring to winning against Jimmy and Johnny "I do actually, though not by force" he smirked. This made Kevin stare at him like he was crazy and he further explained "With the right techniques you can. They might be stronger but that's all they have" he settled back comfortably on the couch "They're complete idiots, they fight messy but if you look for the right openings you can escape easily" he looked over to the other kneeling beside him "It's not about winning the fight, it's about getting out as fast as you can as safely as possible" he stared at Kevin firmly.

Kevin stared at him just as intensely feeling an eerie feeling manifest itself in his stomach. The way Eddward spoke creeped him out, maybe it was that the swimmer mostly likely knew the J's would be far ruthless this coming school year. Kevin knew Eddward wasn't going to always be there to save the day and this meant he needed to know how to save himself. He nodded in response before sitting back and resuming the episode.

It had gotten pretty late in the afternoon when the series finally came to a conclusion and the raven haired had drifted to sleep. Kevin wondered just how much sleep Eddward got on a daily bases. There were always dark circles under his striking blue eyes and they never seemed to go away making Kevin worry. He thought to the various times he had seen and heard the raven haired teen have nightmares, and wondered if he still had them. The little ginger couldn't help but wonder what his nightmares consisted of clearly being something scary enough to leave the poor teen without sleep.

The small scar presented itself gracefully carved into the tan skin, as Eddward's hair draped over the couch armrest. Kevin leaned in taking a closer look at it observing it closely. This was the first time he was able to truly look at it though prominent on his skin it wasn't disliked. Rather Kevin thought that if the scar wasn't there then it wouldn't be Eddward anymore.

When and how had he gotten this scar? And why did Eddward think it so important as to cover it up? Was the mighty king truly insecure about his appearance? He leaned further on top resting an arm on the sleeping teen. The other freckled hand reached forward to Eddward's head getting a sudden urge to touch the lovely scar.

Lightly his finger traced the outline of the scar, and felt the small bump it had. The small portion of flesh was much lighter standing out in comparison to the teen's pretty olive skin. He hadn't dared to ask Eddward on the topic of his scar since that morning in the swimmer's room. His curiosity has been placed in the far back of his mind because he knew the taller teen would in due time tell him the story behind this pretty little scar.

…

They continued to enjoy the company of one another throughout the days. Kevin decided to join Eddward on his runs in the morning and the little teen had discovered they were quite rewarding as they often were early enough to catch the sun rise. They would stop and watch for a few minutes as dark purple faded away by a blanket of bright yellow and clear blue. Sometimes they sit and stay a little longer enjoying the view and fresh air before the temperature raised. During these times Kevin found peace and tranquility in his state of mind.

Throughout their afternoons, they stayed indoor as the sun burned too strong and the air was simply too hot. The teens continued their little language lessons to pass time. Every other day Kevin would sit down an hour to practice Spanish, though it seemed to be easier for the smaller teen because he had taken some beginning classes in school. Kevin found that he _loved_ hearing Eddward speak Spanish. It was a pleasant sound, his tongue rolling the r's perfectly and so naturally it made Kevin smile like a fool. Eddward would read to him, and Kevin would try to mimic the same pronunciations. Of course it brought out many chuckles from the raven haired and flushed freckled cheeks from the other. Kevin would stick his tongue out, and Eddward would pinch his freckled nose playfully before taking the novel from the other's hands and voicing the words correctly.

The same could be said for their French lessons, though the only difference would be that Eddward was more involved studying alongside. Their studying involved watching a bunch of old black and white films. This was the little ginger's favorite studying method as he laughed at the awful acting and terrible effects.

Kevin would talk to Eddward about Nazz and her summer romance even though the swimmer had little interest in it, he was always willing to listen to the smaller teen ramble. It was delightful for the raven haired, though he himself contributed only a mere fraction to these conversations. Kevin's bright eyes and wide smile reassured him that the small teen was doing well and truthfully was enjoying himself. The swimmer had known of course that perhaps coming up here was something that would positively benefit the other, and he smiled relishing in the fact that he was witnessing the most _alive_ he had ever seen Kevin Barr be.

Guilt and regret did however only grow stronger in the pit of Eddward's stomach the more he spent time with the little ginger. The roots of these emotions wrapped themselves around his bones and squeezing painfully tight at his organs. Every fiber of him regretted everything bad thing he had done to the freckled teen. He still couldn't believe that after everything he had done, Kevin Barr had stubbornly stuck around out of his own will.

And now Eddward feared nothing more than the loss of this companionship

The loss would surely be the death of him. How in the world was he supposed to function properly if he didn't know how to live justly without the freckled teen around? He wasn't supposed to get attached, he had been warned, and he had tried to be cautious. This trip was supposed to be only for Kevin and his wellbeing. Yet it proved to him just how dependent he was on the teen. Every smile and laugh calmed his guilt, and filled them with a bubbly sensation. The brightness Kevin radiated was something he never wanted to stop observing. He never wanted this to go away, though he knew it might with the start of the new school year.

As the sun would go down and they had eaten the two boys would head on over to the hidden spot and continue their self-defense training. Kevin was quick to remember every word Eddward spoke as he demonstrated, encouraged and reassured the freckled teen. His piercing blue eyes engraved into his mind as they stood facing each other.

At one point during their training Kevin was thrown on the ground and before he had any time to react was mounted by the raven haired teen. Both his hands were trapped under the grip of the other, and all he could see in that moment was how gorgeous those crystal eyes illuminated in the dark sky and how perfectly his wavy locks framed his face as they fell loose from his ponytail. However, that thought was quickly pushed away by a feel of embarrassment and nervousness. He could feel his face become hot and flushed even though the breeze was cool.

"What are you going to do now?" Eddward's voice broke through his trance.

He looked back up with a raised eyebrow "T-Try to get away?" Though how in the world was he supposed to do that in this position. His mind began to scroll through different tactics but was unsure.

"Don't stop to think, just fight. In a real fight you won't have time to think, you have to act quickly" Eddward's free hand lightly touched at Kevin's neck. "So what will you do to get out of this?"

With that Kevin squirmed underneath the other until he was able to free a hand and pushed hard with his legs. He pushed and kicked until he was able to turn and attempted to quickly crawl away until he felt a hand push him down on the ground. "You did well until you turned away from me" Eddward lifted his hold on the other "That left you defenseless, always face your attacker"

Kevin turned around "So what do I do?" he asked

"Lay down again" he instructed and the smaller teen did as he was told placing his hands above his head as they had been. As soon as the raven haired straddled him his embarrassment and flushed cheeks were back. "Now, what I want you to do is to use your hips to push me off, roll over and come on top of me and start striking" he instructed.

This of course only embarrassed the ginger teen further and he was terrified that Eddward could feel his burning skin. "If the attacker let's go of a hand or if you free your hand" He grabbed Kevin's left hand and lead it up to his face "Strike at the head, roll on top and strike"

"o-ok" Kevin mumbled sheepishly

"Alright, buck your hips with as much strength as you can"

With as much power he found in his embarrassment of wanting to get out of the position Kevin raised his hips and successfully pushed the taller teen off. As they turned, Kevin came on top of the other though the new position didn't make his embarrassment and nerves calm down one bit. "Now that you have the upper hand, you can strike as hard as you can" Eddward moved Kevin's arms to demonstrate. He placed one of Kevin's hand on his shoulder "Hold your attacker down with one hand and with the other…" he closed the ginger's other hand to form a fist "Attack. Hit with a fist or elbow to the head, and try to move out as quickly as possible. You don't want to sit and fight your attacker, but you definitely want to fight them off." He moved Kevin's arms again "You want to strike the face, poke their eyes, grab their hair and slam their head against the ground, strike at their weak spots as hard as you can, just anything to slow them down alright?" he asked making firm eye contact with the other.

"T-That's a bit intense don't you think?" Kevin hesitantly asked processing every instruction that had been given.

"No, I think it's reasonable" Eddward stated letting go of the other's hands and sitting up instead now holding onto Kevin's shoulders "You know as well as I do Jimmy and Johnny won't have mercy. Don't hesitate to be extreme Kevin, if you do you're done for"

Kevin's uneasiness was calmed by the gentle shoulder rubs Eddward provided. "Yeah, you're right" he whispered out. It was difficult to think he could ever engage in such a fight, but if it meant being safe and alive he would resort to such violent measures like Eddward had told him to.

"You can do it, just breathe" Eddward smiled further encouraging Kevin who smiled back.

…

They would go on early hikes up the mountain exploring, eventually once stumbling upon the mountain lion from afar. Kevin had spontaneously pulled out his phone and pulled the taller teen lower to take a selfie with the lion a mere spec in the background. Kevin had a wide smile and Eddward had looked so surprised and flushed in the picture Kevin giggled every time he looked at it. By far this was his favorite picture out all the aesthetically pleasing ones he had taken, it was silly and darn it… it was cute.

They spend some days out by the lakes, sometimes up in the smaller one after their long hike, other times splashing at each other in the bigger one. Kevin had dared Eddward once to dive from top of the waterfall of the smaller lake. So all mighty King of sharks unfazed by the challenge smirked and dared the little ginger to jump with him. Kevin would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit afraid of jumping from that height, but the wild look in those crystal eyes made him feel more adventurous. So, he grabbed at the raven hair's hand and led their way up to the top of the waterfall. Sure, the height of the waterfall wasn't that big, but it was big enough to stir the nerves of the freckled boy.

They took one look at each other before squeezing their hands and stepping off the ground, Eddward with a wide grin, and Kevin with a wider smile on his face. Within seconds, water enveloped them completely, each boy still clinging tightly to the other's hand. They rose up to breathe and Kevin stuck his tongue out playfully making the other roll their eyes and lightly splashed the freckled teen. This of course only sparked Kevin's playfulness and splashed back and soon became a water splashing fight.

…

One night Kevin had stumbled upon the third room in the cabin where he saw all the boxes and furniture. It wasn't his intention to enter the room however he couldn't help it seeing the door slightly opened welcoming him inside. He could easily make an educated guess on who's belongings these where, though he didn't ponder on this too much. Instead he saw a guitar by the door and smiled. Finally something he could show the great Eddward Vincent. He picked it up, and peeked outside where the raven haired teen was watching the bonfire they had made.

"Hey, look what I found" he stepped out holding the guitar out for the other to see "Didn't meant to look inside, but the door was open—"

"It's alright" Eddward interrupted softly smiling at him.

The smaller teen breathed out and smiled sitting next to the other. "So, let me guess oh so talented Eddward knows guitar, and like a thousand other instruments?" he giggled.

Eddward leaned back in his seat looking at Kevin "mm, well a thousand might be exaggerated. I've only played three instruments, though it's been years."

"Really, what did you play?" he asked curiously

"Piano, Violin, and Guitar" The raven haired teen explained eyeing the guitar in Kevin's hands he leaned his hand on his hand. "I mostly fiddled with the guitar, only ever learned one song my mother taught me"

"Can I listen to it?" Kevin asked handing the guitar over with a shy smile.

Eddward looked at the guitar and leaned forward taking a hold of it from the other's hands. He steadied it on his legs, his long fingers slowly tracing the wood full of scratches and bumps "It's been years…" he mumbled "I barely remember"

Kevin folded his legs underneath him and eyed the other curiously, patiently waiting. He heard Eddward strum the guitar getting a feel for it and tuning it to get it right. Then the swimmer's eyes closed remembering the tune of the song. Kevin wasn't sure if Eddward was aware, but the taller teen began to faintly hum the tune before his fingers began to play.

The song was pleasant, and had a light feel to it. Eddward played it softly and smoothly as if he had spent a long time practicing and memorizing the notes. It was lovely listening to the lively notes though halfway through Kevin could feel a hint of sadness to the song. The flames illuminated Eddward's olive skin in a pretty manner somehow making his crystal eyes shine.

As the song came to an end Kevin realized he had had his eyes closed for most of the song. His green eyes met ocean blue with a smile "What's the song called?" he asked quietly.

"Vincent by Don McLean" Eddward handed the guitar back to the ginger teen and leaned back in his chair.

"Vincent?" The smaller teen chuckled at the similarity of names.

"Uh huh, every heard of The Starry Night painting?" Eddward asked looking up at the sky now

"Oh yeah, it's hella famous" Kevin hugged the guitar to his chest.

Eddward chuckled and looked down at the ginger teen "Well, the painter's name is Vincent Van Gogh. The song is about him"

Kevin hummed in response "I'll look it up some time. I remember my middle school art teacher rambling about what a tragedy his life was"

"Indeed it was, Misunderstood and tragic" Eddward said as he eyed the guitar again "Do you want me to teach you guitar as well?" he smirked.

Kevin blush at this "No, I can actually play some. My grandpa taught me"

The raven haired only smirked further "Well then, play a song for me" he leaned back and eyed the other with interest.

"Ok" Kevin smiled and shifted to comfortably place the guitar in his lap. "You my good man are about to witness my great guitar skills" he dramatically strummed the guitar bringing out a laugh from the raven haired teen. Kevin chuckled as well a wide smile on his face upon hearing the other's laugh. "Ok, for real this time" he giggled and paused for a moment feeling nervous to play for the other then he begun to carefully strum the guitar.

Eddward immediately recognized the song as Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra and smiled. He ran his fingers through his raven hair as he listened to the upbeat song. Kevin was rusty here and there but in no way did it take away from the pleasant sound. He enjoyed listening to Kevin and in all honestly the sight of the concentrated ginger was quite beautiful. The taller teen relaxed in his chair, cheek against his hand watching the other play the lovely song. There was a soft smile on the other's freckled cheek as he played, the fire's red flames enlightening his orange short hair, his green eyes bright and focused.

"…Lovely" Eddward murmured softly when Kevin was done "Did your grandpa teach you that song?" he asked.

"Yeah" he nodded placing the guitar on the ground beside him "Said it was his and grandma's wedding song. Actually it's the only song I know how to play" Kevin chuckled sticking his tongue out teasingly and leaned back in his chair facing the other. "Haven't touched a guitar since his passing"

"Seems you two were close" Eddward hummed looking back at the freckled teen.

"You could say that…I am their only grandson after all" The smaller teen pulled his knees to chest "W-what about your mom?" he hesitantly asked. The ginger could see some tension in the other's though he seemed willing enough to speak.

Eddward raised his gaze up to the sky once again, now seeing the brightly shining stars "I remember her as a good woman…before she left…" Eddward inhaled in slowly "She taught me everything, always caring and willing to play with me even though she was busy" he bit his lip running his finger through his hair again "I memorized the ingredients she used because I was always observing her on top of the kitchen counter as she sung to me…so you can thank her for that" he chuckled looking over at Kevin who was smiling back. "She loved to bake pumpkin pie…" He looked up at Kevin and grimly smiled "Do you know what was one of the reasons why I picked on you the most?"

Kevin shook his head carefully listening. Eddward pointed at Kevin's head "Your hair" he smirked "She loved everything that had to do with pumpkins and your hair color reminds me of pumpkins" he chuckled and fixed his gaze at the bonfire in thought "Pumpkin…the name suits you" he murmured quietly.

The ginger teen blushed immensely at the nickname, though he would be lying if he said he didn't prefer it a thousand times more to Minnow.

"I just…" Eddward paused frowning "I always thought that at least she be the one to come back…"

Kevin smiled faded to a frown as well "If she did come back…would you forgive her?"

The raven haired teen rose a hand to run through his jeans, his hand stopping at a bump of the dog tags safely stored in his pocket. He shrugged, and shook his head "I don't know…perhaps not…" He turned to Kevin "Your situation is different, you don't know what a mother's love is like. I on the other hand not only _did_ know what is was but I also know what it is like when that same woman rips it away from you and that…that is a painful thing Kevin"

Kevin leaned forward in his seat "Eddward we've both been abandoned by our mothers. Mine came back, what makes you think yours won't"

"Because I know she won't…" he frowned further

"How do you know that?"

Eddward stared at Kevin sadly "I'm a mistake, Kevin…I'm defective. I was never meant to be the way I am, but no matter what I do I can't fix it" his hands had formed into fists "I can't ever make them come back…I can't ever make them love me..."

Kevin hated hearing the other talk about himself so negatively "Well fuck them ok!" he huffed sitting up in his chair looking at the bonfire "Fuck them, because if there was one thing that they ever did right in their stupid lives it was having you!" he wiped at some tears that began slipping out of his eyes with a scowl "You're perfect Eddward. You are so fucking perfect ok?"

Eddward stared at Kevin with wide eyes stunned at the other's outburst "T-there is no perfection—"

"Well there is, and it's you! You are so fucking talented for god's sake!" Kevin furiously turned to face the other "You play guitar, piano, violin. You can speak English, Spanish and fucking French. You can cook as if heaven was your fucking kitchen!" The freckled teen sniffed "You are a genius, the first in our class! You can get into any fucking university with a full ride if you wanted" he chuckled "You're tall and strong and the unbeatable captain of the swim team" he breathed in calming down a bit "You have the most beautiful fucking handwriting I've ever seen and you have proven to be so caring of me, and—and if they won't love you for who you are then fuck them ok! Fuck them because I will" Kevin angrily wiped his tear stained face.

For the longest time Eddward sat speechless staring at the other as he calmed down from his fit…

He just didn't know what to say, what _was_ he supposed to say? Kevin…Kevin was just so unexpected. The ginger's words were slowly processing through his mind and every word that had slipped from the other's mouth had filled him with a bubbly sensation. He let out a chuckle placing a hand to cover his eyes.

Kevin looked at Eddward who had now erupted into a full on laugh "Why are you laughing?" he scowled at the raven haired teen.

Eddward shook his head "N-no" he tried to contain his laughter "I-It's just" he chuckled out and continued to shake his head "Thank you" the swimmer smiled as he felt his eyes fight back tears.

Kevin stood up and knelt down beside Eddward taking hold of the taller teen's trembling hands "How can you confidently say all that after everything" Eddward whispered out looking at their intertwined hands.

"…Because after _everything_ up until tonight you are perfect to me" Kevin smiled up "We all make bad decisions Eddward, all you have been trying to do is protect yourself from the entire world. But you need to change those voices in your head because not everyone is going to leave you…" Kevin tightened his hold "I won't ever abandon you so long as you don't abandon me ok?"

Eddward let a tear fall at this and a smile crept to his face as he lazily nodded in response. Kevin smiled relieved and hugged the taller teen tightly. Strong arms found their way around the ginger's small frame. Both teens held on just a little bit tighter, the only sound was the soft sniffles of the raven haired teen, the crisp fire behind them. The faint breeze moved the trees around them as fallen leaves waltz to the ground, and the silent river gently passed by somewhere far off.

This emotional moment underneath the bright moon, and shining stars with their tangled limbs being kept warm by the other's heat and the flame was their last memory in the cabin before the teens would head back to Peach Creek.

…

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Oh God i LOVED writing this chapter haha Sorry i had to speed up the get away and i think i will only write two more chapters for their summer break. I really want chap 40 to be the chap when their school starts again. I hope though, that even if i sped up that the chapter was still satisfying for you all._**

 ** _Also i'm very happy to finally use Kevin's new nickname 3_**

 ** _EDIT (was too sleepy to remeber to put this in lol): You can find the songs they played if you typed in the name and add in fingerstyle Guitar cover. Both are covers are done by_** James Bartholomew.

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	38. Chapter 38

**Guest: I don't recall saying that haha BUT soon lovely soon lol I'm trying to make their relationship/love something genuine so I'm sorry if it takes some time but I hope the cute fluffy moments b/w them satisfy in the meantime.**

 **prfctlymprfct: I did actually have plans for Kevin to learn personal defense, but in my original arrangement it was going to be later in the story. However after reading your comment I rethought about the placement of this and thought it was a great time for them to bond and tackle Kevin's fear of Eddward before the school year began. (Poor baby Kev has a lot of trauma)**

 **THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS LEFT A REVIEW & CONTINUES TO READ AWA! I'm beyond grateful for your lovely reviews they give me life and joy every time I get a notification haha. I can't believe AWA has managed to reach over 27K views!** **(and surpass The Scientist).** **Honestly I never thought this story would get so many views, but if there is something I am grateful for this year is that you lovely peepz have given this story a chance and so much love and support. So _thank you_ for reading and continuing to follow All We Are3 Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving for those who celebrate and/or a lovely day/night 33**

* * *

Eddward had contacted Ed beforehand making sure the coast was clear on their path back to Peach Creek. The swimmer knew for a fact that by now both Jimmy and Johnny had arrived from their stupid vacation. The problem now was just that, with Jimmy and Johnny back in town they were obviously back to their usual guarding around their section of town. Eddward needed to make sure that Kevin was not going to be spotted when they entered town and was dropped off. This of course was for the gingers safety and for Eddward to keep his spot as leader of the J's and faithful follower of Sam...

Well, if the Raven haired teen was able to keep up a good standing with Sam and the J's he could easily keep Kevin out of harm's way. Eddward had decided last night in the cabin that he would remain obedient to Sam just not partake in the J's scandals in the High School. The raven haired teen couldn't afford to turn against the big guy at the moment, he knew for a fact that Sam could easily get him expelled and ruin him in Peach Creek. He couldn't risk it, not now that Kevin had brightened his path and trusted him to live justly.

So Eddward was going to do just that…all to keep that radiant smile on his freckled face.

Their drive back to Peach Creek was silent and anxious. Both teens wondered what was up ahead in their journey now that they had established a deeper bond, a comfortable friendship. Kevin was anxious about the J's, a new school year, and his parents. The nervous ginger turned to look at the other who wore a serious expression with his head covered by the black striped beanie once more. Eddward's eyes scanned around looking for familiar faces and cars along the way as he entered their quiet town. They had decided to exit the highway some time before they crossed inside the town to enter through the backstreets of the west side where they knew they could safely enter.

Throughout their travel through the streets of Peach Creek they only encountered one goon who hadn't seemed suspicious, or perhaps didn't recognize Eddward's car. Ed had informed them that Johnny and a couple of his gang were off doing something else in the south side of town, thankfully giving them the opportunity to enter the east side without being seen.

Once they arrived to Kevin's home Eddward turn off the car and sat there quietly waiting for the other to move. He wouldn't face the freckled teen didn't know what to say after everything that had been said back at the cabin so he glued his eye sight to the steering wheel. Eddward heard shifting on Kevin's side as the smaller teen had appeared to take off his seatbelt. The touch of a small hand lightly fell on top of his hand catching his eye sight to move downward towards the hand. His gaze traced the freckled hand all the way up to meet the others unfocused eyes. "Are you alright?" He asked the smaller teen.

Kevin blinked from his trance "I think so" he shrugged trying to give a smile but came out unsure of his own words.

Eddward returned a comforting smile taking ahold of the hand and began to rub soothing circles with his thumb. "You'll be alright. Just remember to breathe…pumpkin" his smirk grew hearing the chuckle the other let out at the mention of the nickname.

Instantaneously the ginger teen turned red at the mention of the cute little new nickname Eddward had decided fit for him. It seemed to be something the taller teen had figured out could promptly put a smile on Kevin's face. "Thanks" he leaned back in his seat turning his head to look out the window towards the front door. His hold on the swimmer's hand tightened as he thought about how alone Eddward must have been facing everything alone. Kevin was grateful for him. He was grateful that Eddward understood and had been there to make it all better. Grateful because even after everything this was the most selfless the raven haired teen he had ever seen him to be. If Kevin was being honest, he didn't want to step out of the car. He didn't want to leave the taller teen's side, nor did he want to let go of the other's hand. It was far too comforting, but he knew he had to for Eddward's car couldn't be seen in front of his home. Kevin turned to face the other who had been looking at him. He felt his pale cheeks and ears flush once more noticing this. "Um…" he cleared his throat "I guess I'll be seeing you another day?"

Eddward simply nodded in reply making Kevin smile once again. With one last squeeze to their hands they finally let go. Kevin grabbed his belongings and headed over to his front door before turning around to see the other still lingering as if making sure he entered safely.

The ginger teen smiled again and waved goodbye as he took a deep breath as he had been instructed and entered his home. As he closed the door behind him he let his belongings drop on the floor. His eyes roamed the living room observing the little details of his home that made him happy. The way there was a blanket messily laid on the couch and uneaten popcorn in between the cushions and floor. The small teen made his way into the kitchen and saw an unfinished mug of coffee as long as messily stacked papers on the corner of the kitchen counter accompanied by a handful of dirty dishes left in the sink. Kevin's attention however was quickly directed to a red box in the middle of the table. On top was a note with his father's barely readable handwriting.

I'm happy to have you back home Kiddo. Promise I'll cook you something delicious when I get home, in the meantime heat up whatever leftovers you like.

Your mother came to drop this gift for you. She wishes you a Happy Birthday. Make sure to give her a call when you can. As for my gift you'll have to wait until I get back from work.

Kevin smiled down at the letter wishing his father would hurry up returning home. Not because he wanted the gift, but because he wanted to hug his old man. He wanted to sit down on the couch and watch cringy movies and eat kettle corn. He breathed in happily as he picked up the red box and shook it lightly noticing it wasn't something too heavy. The small teen headed over to the living room and sat down with his legs folded underneath him and placed the box on his lap inspecting it. He still had mixed feelings about the whole mother being alive situation but he supposed her a chance. After all, she seemed sincere during their talk in the hospital.

…

Eddward turned on the light in the garage as he had closed the door. He looked around the wide area, placing a hand on the edgy of his beanie. The bean bag still quietly hanged from the ceiling, the many boxes filled the corners of the garage. Everything was in its place, the nails sealed inside jars and every tool hanged in order. There was always a sense of dread and disgust whenever he returned home but this time it was different. This time loneliness seemed to be the only emotion to stand out as his realization that Kevin was no longer with him hit. Gently he pulled off the hat feeling the cool air of the garage touch his head. He let out a long sigh trying to ignore the silence of his home.

… _not again_ …

With lazily movements the raven haired teen unloaded the car and began to place everything where it belonged. He had looked around for any possible changes around the house and scanned missed calls, and then headed upstairs to shower to prepare before getting back into action.

He grabbed his phone from the coffee table and took a seat on the couch crossing his leg. He wished this entire Sam thing could blow over quicker. He wanted the next two years to come quickly so it could all finally end, well at least for him and Kevin but surely the authoritarianism would continue in future generations of bullies. With a frown he dialed the number and waited knowingly surely he would be getting a headache soon.

The phone rang a couple of seconds before he heard a small chuckle "Eddward" a husky voice spoke through amused.

"Sam, I'm calling to inform you I've returned from my trip" he looked on over to the window seeing the sun brightly shine through, and the streets ever so quiet.

"Welcome back. I'll be letting your substitute know this will be her last day then" the voice continued to speak as if amused making Eddward unsettled.

"Is there something I need to be aware of?" The raven haired asked firmly trying to figure out what had the other so happy.

"Yes actually, Jimmy and I will be hosting a gathering before school starts. I'm sure you remember the one where we welcome newbies and what not" he chuckled

Ah, yes the insignificant meeting where they host initiation for the new coming members swearing them in secrecy. Eddward rolled his eyes remembering the atrocious experience of his initiation "Right, when will it be?"

"In two weeks, I'll have Jimmy send the information next week to everyone"

"Alright"

"One more thing Eddward"

"…" Eddward went silent knowing exactly was going to be said.

"The next stunt you pull I won't be so forgiving"

"Understood" Once he hung up he let his head fall on his head. He knew he would get a headache after the call, so he soothingly scratched at his scalp as he let a long breath out. Eddward let himself close his eyes for a moment calming down his ache and only thought about the heartwarming memories he had shared with the ginger teen. They made him smile.

He grabbed his phone and sent a text to Ed to meet him soon. They had a lot to discuss about this coming school year, and Eddward knew he wasn't going to be able to handle everything alone. Jimmy was a huge threat in Peach Creek, and if he didn't keep him controlled everything was surely going to blow over chaotically.

Even though Eddward wasn't too fond of asking Ed for help he knew he needed it this time around.

…

The startled ginger teen fell off the couch as he heard a loud noise from the front door. As he made contact with the floor he realized he had fallen asleep on the couch as he had been looking at the present. "Kevin!" he heard his dad's hoarse voice ring through the house. Excitedly he got up and ran to the front door "How many times have I told you not to leave your stuff in the entrance!" the man tiredly stood up grunting as he did so.

"Dad!" Kevin beamed rushing to hug his father tightly "Sorry I fell asleep and forgot to put the bags away" he chuckled.

Kevin's father grin grew quickly wrapping his arms around his son and lifting him up "HEY! I've missed ya kid"

"I've missed you too" Kevin smiled into his father's warm chest. He could feel the man's vibrations from his laughing which only made him giggle further.

"Ah you've bulked up a bit!?" His father put him down grabbing his shoulders and giving them a squeeze. "What you've been up to?"

Kevin smirked "Hardly" he chuckled "Eddward's been teaching me some things" the ginger shrugged as he grabbed his father's arm and dragged him into the living room "Come sit down I'll tell you all about it. We saw a mountain lion!"

"Alright, Alright" Kevin's father radiated with a wide smile.

Kevin excitedly began to tell his father everything on their trip. Well, not _everything_ there were some things that his father didn't _have_ to know, and Kevin would rather keep those moments in private. He told him about the hikes and what he'd learn from Eddward. Kevin showed him some pictures (again not all of them).

Mr. Barr seemed to be very joyful hearing his son talk happily and excitedly about the trip. He was beginning to notice that Kevin seemed more comfortable being in the house, and his skin and weight were back to a healthy state. The man was beyond relieved the getaway had worked in his son's favor, he had begun to feel unsteady himself watching his son lose color and sleep after the incident. His eyes roamed through the opened box that lay on the floor. "What'd you get?" he asked slouching on the couch comfortably.

Kevin looked at him with a questioning look before noticing the box on the floor "Oh" his freckled hand reached under the blanket. "This" he smiled looking down at a scrapbook full of baby pictures, and picture's he hadn't seen before of his father and mother and other of their friends. Under each was a small caption in his mother's bubbly handwriting.

Kevin's father leaned back in his spot "Haven't seen these pictures in forever…" he hummed looking over to see closer seeing a picture of the day Kevin was born. A twenty year old Tom stood on the verge of tears with a huge goofy grin holding baby Kevin as Kevin's mother sat on the hospital bed with an endearing soft smile looking up at Tom. "That was the happiest day of my life, you know" he chuckled nudging his son's shoulder lightly.

Kevin laughed feeling embarrassed "There isn't some big story behind that day?" he asked leaning back as well.

"Actually there is, but how about we talk about it while I make dinner? I'm starving" Kevin's father ran his big hand over Kevin's orange head.

"I'll help!" the small freckled teen smiled standing up and following his father to the kitchen. Kevin placed the scrapbook on the kitchen counter before they went to the sink to wash their hands and Kevin it was then he saw how big his father's hands were from years of being mistreated and overworked. The wrinkles of age showing more clearly than before "I called her…" he mumbled quietly "m-mom I mean" he rubbed an arm gently.

His father raised an eyebrow at him "and?" he smiled

Kevin chuckled "And she's coming over next weekend" he shrugged walking over to get a pan out.

"That's really good to hear kiddo" Kevin's father rubbed the orange hair on his son's head affectionately.

"Yeah" Kevin mumbled happily.

His father had decided to cook steak and placed Kevin to work on the vegetables. Throughout the entire process Mr. Barr continued to flip through the pictures and told Kevin the stories behind them. There were pictures of Nazz's parents in there as well and the freckled teen loved hearing the shenanigans his parents and their friends had done. This conversation continued all the way through their dinner and it made Kevin beyond happy to finally talk so normally with his father once again.

Kevin's father cleared his throat catching Kevin's attention who was now washing dishes. He gave his son an apologetic look "I'm sorry for lying about your mother…I didn't want you to feel…unwanted or anything like that. Just know you've always been my pride and joy Kid"

The little ginger teen couldn't help but feel a bit emotional at this. Kevin couldn't be more grateful that he had this man to call father. His father had done everything in his power to raise him good and in a comfortable life. Kevin knew the Barr man was awkward with showing his affection but after what happened neither dared missed the opportunity to show it. So when his father stood up and reached out Kevin welcomed the hug and dug himself into his father's embrace.

"Wanna see your present?" Mr. Barr finally spoke out

Kevin looked up cheerfully "Hell yeah!"

…

Eddward had asked Ed to meet at a quiet coffee shop on the west side of town he knew was a safe spot to meet. The space was small and lights dimmed slightly to make the atmosphere calm, they had sat in a corner of the shop where they were far from the public's ear. Well not that there were that many people besides the workers. Eddward sat on one side of the table arms crossed with a very irritated scowl, and Ed happily sipped at an ice coffee.

"So did you call Sam already?" Ed leaned on the table as he swirled the ice cubes with a straw. Eddward simply growled as a response. His mind was elsewhere thinking about the following year and what was to come. Ed would catch the raven haired teen mumbling certain words under his breath, at times he would let out a _tsk_ sound from annoyance. After a couple of minutes of this Ed got bored of watching the other's thought process and decided to make it fun. "How was Kevin's birthday? Did you get creative with the pancakes Double D?" he smirked winking.

The question took Eddward by surprise and was instantly thrown away from his thought process "What?" he dumbly asked trying to maintain his frown. Even under the dim lighting Ed could see the other flush at the question and it only made him laugh.

"I asked if Kevin enjoyed his birthday with you" the brunette leaned his cheek on his hand with a wicked grin as he watched the other flush a deeper shade of red.

"I didn't call you out here to talk about t-that" Eddward huffed out scratching at the back of neck.

The stutter only made Ed's stomach bubble more with laughter catching the attention of some of the workers "Alright then, tell me what's going on through that smart brain of yours Double D" He asked after calming down from the joy.

With an irritated sigh "I called you so I can ask you…to help me" The raven haired teen paused glaring at anyone who dared to make eye contact with him "Help me this coming year with keeping everything under control"

Ed leaned back "For Kevin's sake I'm assuming right?" the brunette saw the other nod in response "You know he isn't the only one getting bullied right? There's Nazz, and a whole bunch of kids in Peach Creek and Lemon Brook."

The athlete rolled his eyes "I don't care about them…"

The taller teen leaned forward placing his elbows on the table "Well you should, Kevin would want you to care about them. He won't be too happy to find out you aren't doing anything to help them too"

Eddward muttered some words clearly frustrated placing a hand on to his chin in thought "There's only so much I can do Ed, you are very well aware of that"

"All great revolutions start somewhere" Ed stared at the other intensely

"This isn't a revolution. I'm merely taking the easiest and safest path without creating chaos" Eddward looked up at his companion "We can't go up against Sam. We are obviously outnumbered in power"

The brunette frowned wondering why Eddward wouldn't fight this, why he wouldn't go against Sam. "He…" He began slowly "He has you blackmailed doesn't he?" he asked this thoughts searching through possible secrets Ed knew that might just do it. "Is it…Just because your-"

"STOP" Eddward slammed his fist on the table afraid of the other's next words. "Don't say it…Don't _ever_ dare say it" he threatened.

Ed sighed looking apologetic "Don't deny it D, accept it or else Sam will continue his reign over you"

"I can't...I won't" the Raven haired teen huffed out angrily feeling a sense of disgust rush over his stomach.

"It's not something to be ashamed or disgusted Double D" Ed tried to reach out to his old friend.

With a shake of his head Eddward turned away looking out into the distance "May I remind you it was the very reason you and Eddy left" he shot him a glare.

It was the truth and the tall brunette had no words to say to his companion "I…I'm sorry…" he frowned "I know…I know I made the mistake of following Eddy back then. I should have been there for you…Eddy was always just…" he paused not knowing what to say.

"Eddy was just Eddy…I know" Eddward looked down at his intertwined hands on the table "He always had a way to make us follow blindly no matter how reckless his plans were"

"I'm sorry Double D, I _really_ am and I'll keep apologizing for the rest of life but please know you can trust in me now" Ed formed his hands into fists trying to get the other to know how sincere he was.

With a deep breath in Eddward calmed down though not without sending yet another glare to those who stared before returning to the conversation "…May I ask how you managed to escape?"

The brunette eyes moved to the side "I just stopped participating...then I started helping targets. Sam had Eddy turn against me but Eddy couldn't do it, so Sam had the entire football team personally beat us both. After that it was torture every day until I transferred to Peach Creek."

"..." Eddward sat in silence listening to the others words. It was obvious to him that his old friend hadn't gone through anything easy. If Eddward knew Sam as well as he thought, then the teen was certainly ruthless if disobeyed much more if betrayed.

"Maybe Sam was harder on me, but I can relate to Kevin and every other target at least this much. It's not easy for them, and Kevin is beyond strong for managing to take everything you and the J's have done and _still_ have the heart to reach out to you…" Ed smiled up at the other "…He's really been nothing but good to you Double D and I think you should repay him the kindness"

Eddward looked down at his hands once again suddenly remembering the night before when Kevin erupted with anger and the emotional speech about how perfect he was even though Eddward knew that was far from truth. The way Kevin had compassionately held his trembling hands.

 _"I won't ever abandon you so long as you don't abandon me ok?"_

The kindness that the little freckled teen had shown him was something Eddward knew would take a life time to repay. Though just as Ed had said Eddward owed the smaller teen that much "Then…please… help me with this"

…

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it's shorter haven't really had free time to sit down and write much but I promise next chapter will be longer :3 Wah~ can't wait until chap. 40 hehehe_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	39. Chapter 39

There were very few people out so early in the morning, though, most carried umbrellas while others ran for cover from the pitter-patter that rapidly picked up speed. It soon began to sound like a million angry bees buzzing around.

The raven haired teen got the first splatter of rain when he was only ten minutes into his morning run, but the now heavily falling rain did nothing to stop him from his current task. It was half past five in the morning and once again he had had barely an hour of sleep. The nightmares seemingly hitting him much more ruthless as the days counted down until the new school year began. He was terribly afraid of the images in his dreams coming true and that the voices that laughed and mocked him being right about everything all along.

Every morning he ran this same route through the west side of town, passing through a bridge where there was a beautiful view of the Peach Creek lake. He came to a stop to admire the view unfazed by the rain, as it only served to calm him. His piano fingers gingerly touched the railing sending a chill down his spine.

Nearly half a year ago he had been ready to end it all. It was his second attempt, yet a certain ginger boy had once again foiled his plans for the second time. Was it destiny for Kevin Barr to intervene every time he tried at suicide? Perhaps his fate laid somewhere else in this life…least that's what he thought now that a certain boy made him believe so.

It had been a strange change for the raven haired swimmer, more so since he was twelve nothing had seemed to change in his life. There had been absolutely nothing to motivate him and for him to strive for something else. Since his childhood, he had been told he was to be great and nothing less, but he never knew what for.

He gripped the railing tightly only feeling the cool metal under his touch and compared it to the touch from the freckled skin that only radiated warmth. Not even the summer heat could compare to that boy's kind warmth. Since they had left the cabin he desperately craved for more late nights when the both of them would fall asleep on the couch and he'd feel nothing but comfort as he fell deeply in peaceful slumber.

What he didn't seem to understand was the desperation he felt…the certain feeling of wanting to hold onto someone so strongly. This feeling was new to him and honestly speaking it made him afraid. This longing was a sign of weakness, a sign that any of his rivals easily could snatch if noticed and use against him. It was a weakness that gave even the small freckled teen the upper hand and the satisfaction of breaking Eddward if he wished to do so.

This emotion was dangerous that much he knew, and because of this, he had promised himself to overpower it and keep it at bay. He had reassured Ed he wouldn't get attached, he had engraved it into his chest again and again. To his unfortunate luck, each passing day at the cabin had been a defeat for Eddward James Vincent. The freckled teen continued to worm his way into his heart and share the warmth Eddward lacked. After their last night at the cabin, Eddward knew he could no longer win against this emotion…

So what was he supposed to do now?

Expressing it wasn't allowed for the fear of the many possible consequences it could bring. Denying it was impossible and at this point exhausting especially when he couldn't pin point what _IT_ was. It was frustrating at times and only more so as it latched deep in his chest every single time he made the smaller teen smile and laugh. Was it that he was just genuinely happy?

No, Eddward had experienced happiness before. He knew what being happy was having memories of that particular feeling from his childhood. This emotion was different from being happy, this emotional reduced him to desperation and longing though it wasn't a bad feeling… it was just…damn frustrating.

If he had to compare this feeling to something, the closest he could muster was definitely the joy he had felt with his friend Blaine. Though, it was difficult to compare because he had been so young and had paid no attention to these kinds of things. They had sat together many afternoons on a grassy field with a little river skipping rocks and splashing each other. It was the sheer joy of innocence. There was definitely a painful heartbreak upon hearing of his friend's death nearly two years after Blain's move.

It was at that point that Eddward came back to reality and noticed the rain had calmed down to lightly hitting his skin. He looked up at the sky watching the clouds quickly move in unison in one direction. Lazily forcing his feet to take a couple of steps forward he decided to not contemplate the feeling any longer.

It wasn't long before he heard quick footsteps behind him catching his attention. In the mere second, he turned around someone had crashed into him sending both of them tumbling down to the ground. A loud _oof_ was puffed out by the person with a head full of ginger hair. The teen's small hands steadied themselves on his chest lifting him up for Eddward to see their smiling face.

Kevin…of course it had to be Kevin Barr. "Way to make an appearance Barr"

"Sorry I slipped" The freckled teen giggled not making any efforts to get off the other.

"Be careful" Eddward sighed but returned the smile nonetheless feeling the emotion begin to climb up his rib bones. "What are you doing out here so early in the morning?"

"Same thing as you, duh" Kevin sat up straight pointing to his sporty outfit easy to run in "came out to find you..." he finally lifted himself off the other and helped Eddward up.

"What for?" the swimmer asked taking the freckled hand to help him stand.

He could see the other slightly flush at the question "I don't know…kind of missed running with you" he shrugged pulling up the hood of his hoodie over his head looking to the side "besides barely anyone is awake at this hour so…it's ok right?" Kevin looked up at the other biting his lip.

Eddward gave out a happy sigh with a smirk "Of course"

"Hey…you're soaking wet" Kevin reached out to lightly pull on the other's tank top that stuck to the boy's skin, only now realizing hadn't taken cover from the rain. The wet shirt only seemed to redefine the taller teen's chest with clear strong muscles. Eddward's beanie protecting the raven locks but those that escapes dripped with water and curved on his face beautifully "Aren't you cold?" he questioned looking down knowing he had been staring a too long and placed his hands in his pocket.

"On the contrary, I feel refreshed pumpkin" Eddward heard the other laugh nervously at the nickname and truthfully he had to admit that using it made him giddy. It made him happy that the smaller teen made no complain about it, clearly liking the name just as much as he did.

Pulling on the strings of his hoodie was the only thing Kevin would think of to distract himself feeling his face become hot once again from the nickname "O-of course you would be" he smiled awkwardly.

With that, the swimmer placed a hand on the other's head and gently rubbed "Come on let's go"

Kevin bashfully smiled "kay"

…

Before the teens knew it they had made it through mid-august. The summer weather slowly cooled down with each passing day and back to school commercials and ads were all that appeared on every channel and on every wall of down town. Kevin and Eddward had gotten into to rhythm of certain days in which they could easily meet up. Mornings for example, it wasn't on a daily basis but three times a week they'd meet by the bridge and ran together. Twice a week they would meet up during the evening and continue their self-defense training in Eddward's backyard and used the punching bag in the garage. On other days Kevin would pop into the antiques shop meeting a cheerful Ms. Adams and now happily surprised Eddward as well. The ginger teen would help around the store though there wasn't much to do. He like cleaning the best because he was able to comfortably talk with the taller teen maybe even steal a couple glances in his direction.

The young teen was merely admiring the boy as he often did in secret. Every time he looked over the soft smile on the other's face Kevin couldn't help but feel proud of the way Eddward had managed to open up. It had clearly served as a positive change because even he could see the more open the raven haired teen was with Ms. Adams. The boy sunk into her hugs and though he frowned it was clear as day Eddward enjoyed having her presence around. The two may not have as many long conversations as Kevin had with the woman but they shared a silent communication through every touch and smile. The sight of a happy Eddward was bliss for Kevin.

The bully that was Eddward Vincent was nearly forgotten.

The image of the bully was a mask…had been a mask this entire time because this sweet, kind heart person had been there all along simply too afraid to show. That person was entrancing the freckled teen every moment they spent together.

 _Nearly_ forgotten however

There was still a stinging fear in the depth of everything that made believe this was all temporary. The smaller teen feared all of this would be reduced to a faint memory that might be blown away as soon as the fall wind passed through the town. He tried not to think about it for too long or let it get his attention, for the moment Kevin focused on the now. The now that was Eddward Vincent, the guy who had understood and known exactly what to do to cheer him up and had taught him to breathe again. Kevin could breathe comfortably and profoundly enough gaining self-control and a peaceful mind.

Every time he woke up in the middle of a nightmare he would remember Eddward's calm voice and quickly closed his eyes and clear his mind relieving him of panic and anxiety. He'd turn to his side looking out his window wondering what Eddward did to relieve his own nightmares. What did he think about to calm down and go back to sleep? It worried Kevin sometimes noticing the dark circles under the other's exhausted eyes that had reappeared after their trip. What had changed? Was it that he was alone in that big house? Perhaps, so Kevin had gone over to stay the night at Eddward's place a few times hoping that might be the case but in the mornings it would seem nothing had changed. Eddward would look just as tired as usual…this made him wonder what was the cause of his nightmares, what fears were keeping the raven haired teen up at night.

One particular night Kevin had decided to stay awake hoping to find the answer to this. As he lay awake in the guest room trying to hear something from the swimmer's room. He didn't necessarily find any answers that night. Around two in the morning, he heard Eddward step out of the bedroom and walk down stairs. The ginger teen had waited a couple of minutes waiting to hear any more movement but the other didn't seem to have any plans in returning to his room. So, Kevin got up and stepped out as well finding the swimmer sitting on the couch leaning forward with his face in his hands.

The freckled teen frowned at the sight and carefully approached taking a seat next to the unsettled Eddward. The raven haired teen made no motion of surprise when Kevin sat down instead lazily looked up locking his sad eyes with the other's emerald ones. He felt a tight grip in his chest making him want to whimper as he stared at those ocean eyes. Kevin leaned forward settling his head on the swimmer's shoulder, his forehead lightly touching Eddward's cheek. He wasn't sure what to say to comfort the other but he hoped this contact might help as it always seemed to do the trick for him.

To his amazement. it seemed to be the exact thing Eddward had needed as forty minutes later of leaning against each other he had fallen asleep leaving a smiling Kevin to quietly stare. It was until the morning that he realized they had both slept on the couch, Eddward's head peacefully resting on his lap. His raven hair messily lay out in beautiful waves exposing his forehead and the elegant scar. Kevin lightly touch the ends of Eddward's hair feeling the smoothness of it, gently he ran his fingers through his scalp enjoying the feel of it. Until the raven haired teen let out a small purr then Kevin stilled his movement afraid of waking the other, though kept his hand where it was. His face flushed at the sound thinking it was beyond unexpected of the king of sharks yet undeniably adorable.

Kevin had tested out this method the next time he had stayed over getting the raven haired teen to agree to a marathon of kid's movies, such as El Dorado (in which they had watched in Spanish for Kevin's learning purposes), and Brother Bear. Surely enough after the second film Eddward began to doze off and mid-way through the third movie his head hung low deep in sleep lightly snoring making Kevin giggle. He had gotten up to grab a blanket from Eddward's room to cover the swimmer and himself. Kevin had finished watching the rest of the film before turning off the computer and snuggling close to the other. When he woke up first this morning he was pleased to see that this had truly done the trick once again. Eddward had laid down on the couch and somehow managed to pull the ginger teen along. Kevin lay on top of the swimmer's chest, their legs and arms in a tangled mess. Kevin felt beyond embarrassed waking up like this…well it wasn't the first time but definitely the most embarrassed he has ever felt by the situation. He tried to quietly untangle himself from the other but was unable to remove the arm that wrapped around his shoulders pressing him close to Eddward. So with a mortified whimper he rested his head on the others chest and waited trying his best not to be hyper aware. His eyes roamed over the fit chest watching it rise and fall steadily reminding him of previous times he had done this.

Well, at least Eddward was actually sleeping…

…

Nazz's arrival had Kevin feeling more at unease than he thought to be. Having the girl around only put her in danger and the realization finally hit that they only had two weeks before their junior year began. Everyone who had left was rapidly beginning to return to town and fill the streets again with familiar faces. It was around this time when the J's would begin their torment once again picking up the 'weak' and bullying them. They could never catch him. Before they knew it Kevin had sped past them in his repainted motorcycle. Mr. Barr had painted the bike a darker shade of red as well as given her a fix and had gotten a new helmet as his birthday gift. That very same night he had gone out on a drive around town until he came up a hill that overlooked the entire town of Peach Creek. Placing his bike in perfect view he took a picture and sent it to his friends.

At the very least at the moment Kevin was untouchable on his bike. The speed of his bike allowed him to easily out race any cars, it also helped that Eddward alerted him beforehand. He wasn't going to allow the J's to have their way with him this time around, nor was he going to allow absolutely nothing harm his best friend.

The blond girl had expressed her clear disapproval of his friendship with Eddward no matter how many times the ginger teen tried to explain the other's change of heart. He couldn't blame her for not trusting him though; Kevin understood why she didn't accept him. Perhaps if Eddward been his bully for more years he might not have given him a chance at all, much like he was doing with the J's. Eddward's behavior had always been different compared to Jimmy and Johnny's attitude towards mistreatment. Eddward never seemed to be too involved in the beatings and harassment only joined in for a few moments before leaving, usually only keeping watch over his goons. More importantly, however, Eddward _never_ had the same look of enjoyment the other did. While the J's gain pure satisfaction from the beatings Eddward only seemed to become more unfulfilled and angered. Something Kevin at the time could not understand why…

It was unfortunate Nazz refused to comprehend the ex-bully the same way he had. Surely, she would forgive him. This in turn only served for his friendship with Ed to strengthen. Having no one to speak about Eddward with, it pleased Kevin to have the support of the giant brunette. It also delighted him to hear Ed and Eddward talking more frequently. Once the three of them were able to hang out in this old forgotten playground close to Eddward's house. Though, Eddward argued with the other the entire time the smaller teen was content that the swimmer didn't look like he was about to punch Ed in the face at anymore.

The two Ed's had taken seats on the swings while Kevin sat crisscrossed on the ground talking for a good half hour. The two Ed's had some kind of stare war between them this going unnoticed by the freckled teen before the tall brunette had decided to grab Kevin and sat him down on his lap secretly sending a mischievous grin towards the raven haired teen who only looked peeved. Laughing, Ed swung them both fast on the swing getting a loud yelp from the smaller teen who clung to the chains tightly feeling like he was going to fall any second.

The evening ended with them skipping rocks by a nearby small river in silence. Kevin was sitting between the two Ed's but leaned closer to the swimmer finding comfort in the proximity. He would sneak glances up to the two boys wondering what was going through their minds. Eddward had a melancholy look in his eyes as he stared down at the water seeing something past their reflection. Ed had his emotionless eyes stuck down at his hands as he quietly played with a pebble. Kevin pulled his legs closer to his chest staring at the reflection of the shimmering blue eyes. A small frown formed on his freckled face as he pondered what the taller teen was remembering. There was still so much they didn't know about each other, but that was to be expected.

…

Kevin's mother Lizzy had been visiting every weekend asked by Kevin himself as a means to get to know the woman better. It had been quite awkward at first, mostly one-sided conversations in which the woman tried to get Kevin to talk but he had difficulty to speak to her. Yet, he remembered the talk he had had with Eddward and how supportive he had been that night. After that, he began to speak more with his mother. She would bring over old photos and told him stories some in which he found out his father had changed a tad bit to make him look good. His father's expression was hilarious to Kevin easing up the awkwardness.

Twice he had found his parents speaking quietly in the kitchen. The first time things were silent and tensed though the second time they smiled and laughed. It made Kevin happy to see his father receive some kind of closure and release those bottled emotions he had been holding onto for 16 years.

Sometime after that, she had a sit down with Kevin and she began to tell her story after leaving the Barr men. She had been emotionally and mentally unstable due to problems with her family causing her unbearable stress. She confessed she had had a mental breakdown while she was seven months pregnant and once again months after Kevin was born and had said terrible things to Kevin's father. The weight of her problems had only increased with Kevin's arrival and the bills piling up. In all honesty, she had been weak, not even Kevin's father could have saved her at that point. In desperation from her suffocating prison she had left leaving behind a distraught Tomas with one-year-old Kevin.

Lizzy and Kevin sat on the couch quietly as her freckled hand wrapped around his proceeding to tell the rest of her story up until the point she had found courage to face the partner and child she had abandoned. When she had finished they shared a long silence to digest what had been said, Kevin asked her some questions and she willingly responded. Eventually, she encouraged Kevin to tell her about him, and so he did. He told her about every Quiz Bowl and Robotics competition his team had won (showing her trophies and his favorite quiz bowl cap) and the time his dad took him out riding on a motorcycle for the first time and completely falling in love. He told her almost everything…excluding the bullying of course.

Neither of his parents needed to know about that.

…

During their last week of summer break, Kevin couldn't manage to sit still, his old friend anxiety kicking in. It was late in the afternoon when he decided to grab his bike and go out for a drive around town hoping to calm it down. On his way through town, he saw Johnny hanging around a skate park with three other mean looking guys. Seeing their faces didn't help him what's so ever, the fear of being in their clutches again only crept in more so. Johnny had given him an evil smirk in his direction seeing the familiar bike ride past but made no attempt to go after him. Least he was safe for now.

Within a couple of minutes, he once again had managed to come up to the swimmers drive way. Turning off the ignition she noticed a single light in the living room turned on, Kevin leaned forward on his bike taking off the helmet and letting it hang on the handle. He sighed looking up to the big house thinking back on an old conversation they had on the back porch of the house. It had been possibly the first time Eddward had opened up to him so honestly and told him something personal. "Kevin?" he heard the confused voice of the taller teen who stood at his door step watching Kevin curiously.

The freckled teen's eyes brightened with joy as he noticed what Eddward was wearing. "Is that the shirt I got you?" he laughed in amusement "Didn't think you'd actually ever wear it"

Embarrassed Eddward looked down realizing indeed he had been wearing the black shirt that said _I Don't Believe In Humans_ written in big letters. He grabbed at the shirt looking to the side as if trying to hide the letters "Whatever…it's comfortable" he murmured pouting.

Kevin leaned his cheek on his hand feeling somehow relieved by the sight "In fact, I thought you might have thrown it away…" he smirked lopsidedly "glad you didn't"

The taller teen flushed at the comment his olive skin turning cherry in seconds it made Kevin chuckle. Eddward cleared his throat leaning more against "Are you coming inside?"

"Actually" Kevin lifted himself up right a leg still keeping him steady "I just remembered we owe each other something"

Raising an eyebrow the swimmer's curiosity increased "and what would that be?" he asked trying to think.

Smirking Kevin patted the seat behind him "You promised to come on a drive with me, and I promised I'd show you a perfect spot remember?"

Eddward lifted a hand to scratch at the back of his neck pulling some strands from under his beanie looking away from Kevin. "No I don't remember…" he lied.

The smaller teen chuckled "Liar" he stuck his tongue out playfully "come on, please?" Kevin pleaded.

"Y-You don't have another helmet, it's dangerous—"

"Wrong" Kevin jumped off his bike and opened a small compartment where he kept his second helmet just in case "See?" he held the other helmet for the other to view.

"B-But— " Once again he was interrupted by a very eager Kevin.

"No Buts" the smaller teen chuckled at that as he made his way to the door "I'll go slowly 'kay?"

Eddward internally groaned at the adorable puppy eyes the smaller teen displayed. After a moment of fighting in his mind, he decided he wasn't going to win this and sighed with defeat "I'll be right back…"

Kevin giggled watching Eddward enter the living room to grab a hoodie and pull it on "Don't look so upset Eddward it'll be fun I promise"

With that, Eddward slipped on his shoes, turned off the light and closed the door. He slowly turned to the death vehicle at stood mocking him. Kevin tugged at the Eddward's sleeve offering an encouraging smile and handing the helmet it over "come on" he softly spoke pulling the raven haired teen along.

Kevin mounted his bike sitting a little bit forward to make room and pulled on his helmet. He watched as the other painstakingly slow put the helmet on then eyed the freckled teen unsure about what was to happen. However this only made Kevin giggle more "I'm a good driver, you'll see" he patted the seat once again.

With a small groan Eddward mounted the dreaded bike as well, frown still prominent. "Hold on tight and lean with me when I turn" Kevin turned to send the other a playful wink before turning on the motorcycle with a wide smile. The freckled teen felt the slender hands hesitantly place around his side, and with an eye roll he grabbed both of Eddward's hands and pulled them tightly around his waist forcing the taller teen to press against his back.

Kevin then took off with a smirk as he felt the arms tighten their hold on him. He definitely was keeping the speed slower than what he was used to, but it was still fast enough that he knew he was going to get a big lecture from the raven haired teen when this was over. It only made him smile more.

It took them about 20 minutes to read to their destination. Kevin had taken them to the top of the cliff that overlooked the entire town lights starting to shine as the sun rapidly hid under the horizon. The beauty of the scenery did not however stop the raven haired teen from sending a frown towards Kevin's direction making Kevin burst with a roaring laugh at the childish expression.

They placed their helmets on the bike and walked closer to the edge of the cliff. They were just in time to catch the last few seconds of the setting sun. "So? What do you think?" Kevin smiled up at other. Eddward had been quietly smiling as he stared at the scene in front of them.

The raven haired teen ripped his stare to look down at the freckled boy with a smirk. His features beautifully illuminated by the sunlight and loose strands of raven hair danced in the breeze "It's gorgeous"

Kevin breathed out happily returning his stare now to the lights shining all over town with slightly flushed skin. He was feeling the little bit of anxiety again…he was scared of what the new school year would bring…he was scared that his friendship with Eddward might end…He was scared of losing this wonderful person who always knew what to say and do to comfort him. He was scared of forgetting these magnificent memories and moments.

As if sensing his unsettled mind, Eddward slid his fingers into Kevin's freckled one. Slightly jumping from the sudden contact Kevin looked up observing Eddward continuing to look forward as if completely engulfed by the setting. The smaller boy interlocked their hands together finding warmth and comfort in them.

Kevin softly smiled feeling his fear melting away as he continued to stare at the other's handsome face "Look over here for a second" the smaller teen demanded and was pleased to see the other obey. Kevin reached up with his free hand and laced his small fingered with the dark hair underneath the hat. "May I?" he asked this time. With wide eyes, Eddward slowly nodded giving the other permission. Kevin held his breath and gently pulled the black striped beanie off releasing the beautiful wavy hair and revealing the scar. "...perfect" he whispered out.

It was going to be alright this time around…

…

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what your favorite part was and what you are looking forward to haha_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	40. Chapter 40

_**Wah sorry meant to upload this yesterday, but got caught up with something else**_

 _ **Anyways hope you had a wonderful time with your loved ones this week 3**_

* * *

Under the twilight sky, Kevin and Eddward had sat down on the grassy field of the cliff that overlooked the entire town of Peach Creek. The freckled hand held onto the slender hand in an anxious grip despite the reassurance from the taller teen. The raven haired teen had gone over the J's plans for the first day of school. He had told him to get to school extra early and hide in the library until first period. Eddward would handle the J's and inform Kevin of their movements to avoid running into the bullies.

Eddward had been reassuring that night, however, the anxious feeling of roaming the same halls as Jimmy and Johnny...coming face to face... hearing their disgusting laughter bringing him back to the last day of their sophomore year. The fear brought chills and nerves throughout his entire body.

Kevin had worn his usual light green oversized sweater no matter ignoring the heat that still encompassed the town. At this point, Kevin was used to attending in big loose sweaters to hide his injuries, though he everything went as he hoped he'd walk out of school untouched. He breathed in deeply closing his eyes remembering that Eddward was on his side now, and the guy was taking action to protect him. Thanks to the information Kevin would then be able to easily protect Nazz in turn.

He ran his damped hand through his messy ginger hair slicking it back slightly. His hair had grown quite a bit, though the three awkward bangs poked out just a bit. His body looked meatier and built thanks to running and training with Eddward as well as other workouts Kevin had taken as a hobby on days he wouldn't meet the other teen.

Nonetheless, it was refreshing seeing himself in the mirror. No longer eye bags under his eyes, no longer a boney pathetic teenager, and no longer so unbearably afraid of everything. The longer hair framed his face nicely and certainly helped to control his bangs, and Kevin swore that he'd gotten taller.

He sighed out with a soft smile...well least his nerves were calmed now and thankfully his self-esteem had risen. It was going to be ok, nothing was going to happen. All Kevin needed to worry about was the placement of his locker and potential bad teachers. Like a regular high school student for once.

His door opened revealing a bright smile from a pretty blond who peeked inside "Ready?" Nazz asked stepping inside beside Kevin.

"I think so" he shrugged looking over to his backpack lying on the bed "feels weird going back, but at the same time it's like summer was too short"

Nazz placed a hand on the other's shoulder and leaned into it "I know exactly what you mean…"

He lifted his arm to wrap around the girl protectively "it's definitely going to be different this year"

The blond looked up with a frown "For your sake, I hope so…I really hope so Kevin. Please, I _implore_ you to be cautious you trust people too easily"

"Well, I'd like to think I have a good sense of character judgment, else I would have given the same chance to the J's and we both _know_ how that would have ended" he chuckled.

Nazz moved from under Kevin's hold and stepped in front of him "I've been meaning to ask you something for a while now" she sighed looking firmly into his eyes "What made you so fixated on running after Vincent? H-How did you manage to _believe_ so strongly that he is capable of change after everything horrific he's done?"

Kevin sighed looking to the side thinking back to how he felt just half a year ago "I…I saw _him…_ Something was off... but I realized it wasn't because he was being weird it was the person behind the mask" Kevin looked down at his hand and remembered how gently Eddward's had touched his at the bridge. The entire situation was beyond abnormal for them at the time, and had left Kevin baffled. "I saw the someone who was hurt…"

The girl sighed shaking her head "and Kevin Barr decided to play superman"

"I've never _played_ to be anything it was days later I found out how serious this was" He touched his wrist lightly soothing the skin remembering all the blood that flowed through the draining water "He was in desperate need of someone to be by his side… I just didn't know _why_ then"

"Fine, say he's some lost kid who been through a lot. That does not justify his malicious doings and abandoning you the way he did. If he was as desperate as you claim him to have been, then he would have done everything in his power to save you right? If I was him I would have burned the world to save _you._ The problem is that he didn't do that, he did the worst possible thing and turned his back on you when you had given him what he most wanted. So why? Why did you go back?"

Kevin leaned back on his desk contemplating everything his best friend had just said "You have no idea how many times I asked myself that the night I rushed over to his place…but I'd catch myself wishing that I could forget all the horrible things that he has done" he frowned now scratching the nape of his neck "I was far more terrified that he'd do something stupid…He'd shown me that he genuinely cared…I-I just knew that he was capable of being saved" Kevin felt his chest clench "I swear I was going crazy over the many times I kept pacing around my room, driving back and forth it was killing me. I didn't know to be mad or concerned" he softly smiled up at her "I'm just really glad I did go back, because after that something changed in him"

The petite girl continued to frown "What happens if he does it again…?"

At this Kevin seemed to shrink and sadly smiled looking at the floor "If it happens again…then it's over for good this time…"

Nazz sighed out her shoulders sulking and leaned into her best friend in a tight embrace "God, what am I going to do with you…" she hid her face in his shoulder "You are too good you know that?…and that asshole better know it too"

Kevin chuckled into her pretty thin hair as he hugged her back tightly "Love you too"

"I'll always be here for you" she hugged tighter "No matter what crazy shenanigans you get yourself caught up in…Always ok?"

"Always" he smiled feeling all his worries go away from the warm embrace.

…

Kevin had decided to take his motorcycle to school that day trying to stay as positive as possible and head back into the halls of peach creek high. There was an eerily aura that crept through the hallways, but he pushed it aside knowing well it was his anxiety trying to poke at him. A handful of sleepy students roamed the halls and groaned as they made their way around trying to get their tasks done. Kevin and Nazz entered the gym where there were only six other students looking for their schedule. Kevin searched through schedules on one end of the many tables laid out and Nazz on the other end. It took them a couple of minutes to find their schedules but once they did they immediately began to compare and hoped they had the same classes. Thankfully they shared three, AP English language, Spanish, and Physics.

After they headed over to the library to get their new lockers and both managed to get top lockers in the west wing. "Being early always as its perks" Nazz smiled looking over her combination trying to memorize it. Kevin looked over to the far end of the library remembering the quite moment's he shared here with a particular raven haired teen. It had just been the beginning, but somehow thanks to those quite study sessions he had managed to climb another wall. He fondly peeked over the table in the farthest corner hidden behind the bookshelves with a feeling of excitement eating at him. He wondered what new memories were in store for him in this school year. "Come on Kevin, let's go put our stuff away" she tugged at Kevin's sweater and he nodded following her out.

As they finished placing something somethings inside (Nazz going over the top and decided they need to decorate and began taking pictures and such out) they heard a lot more students begin to fill the school up. The majority came from the gym, and some teachers began to shout orders about keeping things organized. When Nazz was satisfied with how she had decorated Kevin's locker she heard some of her friends call out to her as they made their way into the school. Kevin had nodded and told her to go with them knowing she'd be safe. So, as she made her way with her friends to some other part of the busy school Kevin made his way in the opposite direction hoping to spot a black striped beanie.

Before he knew it he had walked all the way to the natatorium wondering if perhaps the raven haired teen was inside. They hadn't shared any communication since the previous night, Eddward had done a great job at specifying the areas he needed to avoid because so far he had not bumped into either Jimmy or Johnny. Nazz was aware as well, which was why he wasn't so worried. He pushed the door testing if it was open and to his miracle it was. Taking it as permission he pushed a door open and peeked inside finding it in complete silence and no sign of the king of sharks.

Kevin stepped inside letting the door close behind him and let his eyes wander around the entire room remembering the first time he had seen Eddward compete and how full of energy the place was. Then frowned feeling his face heat up remembering the last time he had walking inside a complete sobbing mess. He walked closer to the pool with a soft smile. Somehow, the place was once again comforting to him. He didn't know what it was but it seemed like he was seeing something that was part of Eddward. The Natatorium, the competitions, and the pool were things Eddward loved. Kevin didn't need the teen's confirmation because he would see it every time Eddward's ocean eyes would immediately brighten with joy at the mere sight of the lake, and the small breath of relief he'd always let out as he stepped into the water. It was adorable really.

Suppose he got the same way when it came to engineering a new design.

Kevin threw his bag to the bleachers and took a seat on the floor on the edge of the pool reaching down to run his freckled fingers through the cool water. It was relaxing and reminded him of all the memories back at the cabin. He leaned his cheek on a hand and watched the smooth ripples of water as he lazily moved his fingers in circles.

As he was getting caught up in the hypnotizing movement of water he heard doors open breaking his concentration. Bright blues eyes looked back at him in surprise. It took Kevin a moment to fully come back to reality as he saw the tall figure of Eddward Vincent standing by the locker room doors. Then the tall teen smiled and made his way over to Kevin.

Smiling back Kevin stood up from his spot and waved. He noticed the other wearing his usual black clothing and blood red shirt and beanie, though dog tags were missing. The ginger would be lying if the familiar sight of the all black clothed (ex-bully) teen didn't stirred some of his anxious fears, but the warm smile the swimmer wore was friendly and immediately washed it away. "Hey" he said awkwardly.

"Morning" Eddward looked down placing his hands in his jacket's pockets. "What brings you here pumpkin? I recall telling you to hide in the library"

Still not used to the nickname Kevin blushed from head to toe and nervously laughed looking down to the water "Yeah but…I thought I might find you in here?" he shrugged looking back up.

Eddward reached for the ginger hair under Kevin's hat and ruffled it gently though it still tipped the hat up loosely. "Well, you have certainly have a talent for finding me effortlessly"

The smaller teen smirked straightening his hat on correctly "Maybe you're just _really_ easy to find" he laughed looking back up to those wonderful blue eyes.

"I'll make it a challenge for you next time" Eddward joked, both knowing fully well he wasn't actually going to "Have you received your new schedule?"

Kevin brightly jumped in excitement "Yeah, have you?" he asked and saw the taller teen nod in response. He pulled out his schedule and unfolded it giving it to the swimmer to look at "any luck?" Kevin questioned hoping he'd have something with the other.

"Look at you taking three AP courses this year" Eddward smiled glancing up a moment to look at the other who seemed proud of himself. "We shared AP language, AP U.S. history, and Precalculus" he smiled giving the smaller teen his schedule back.

"How many AP are you taking?" Kevin asked folding the schedule once again

"Four, AP psychology, AP Spanish Lang apart from the ones we share" he placed his hands back in his pockets.

Kevin looked at him in awe "You're taking psych? I heard the teacher is really hard. I don't know if I'd be able to do it"

Eddward chuckled "I'm informed that the teacher for History is hard as well"

"Exactly! How are you going to deal with TWO terribly hard teachers?" Kevin moved his hands in exaggeration.

"I like a challenge" Eddward smirked confidently

The ginger teen rolled his eyes with a goofy smile "of course… two hard AP classes taught by the hardest teachers in school would be something the great Eddward Vincent could most likely easily handle"

"Don't give me so much credit, I bet you could do it too" Eddward pulled down the cap over Kevin's eyes playfully.

"Hey!" Kevin reached up to straighten his hat once again and raised an eyebrow at Eddward "you think so?"

"Don't you?" Eddward saw Kevin looked up bashfully

"M-maybe if I had your brains and skills" the freckled teen laughed out shrugging

The raven haired teen looked down in surprise "You don't need my intelligence to an outstanding student Kevin" Eddward seemed to lower himself slightly to catch the other's eyes "Are you forgetting you are among the top five in this school?"

Kevin turned cherry red realizing that Eddward had known that fact "I didn't know you knew…"

Exhaling the taller teen leaned back tilting his head to the side "Of course I would, we have been taking the same honors and advanced courses since freshman year"

The smaller teen only seemed to turn redder at the statement "I guess your right" he chuckled stretching with a finger just behind his freckled ear.

"Don't doubt yourself" the raven haired teen smiled down "I'm not even valedictorian"

Kevin laughed giving a little push to the other "That's only because you don't want to give the speech at our graduation or am I wrong?"

With a wide smirk, Eddward simply avoided meeting the other's eyes and shrugged making the smaller teen laugh harder. Feeling a huge rush of relief made Kevin stepped closer and wrapped his arms around the other's fitted waist giving him a quick yet tight hug. "I'm glad you're here with me" he quickly mumbled out into the other's shirt.

The taller teen didn't even have time to properly react when Kevin lifted himself off of him and began to make his way over to the bleachers to retrieve his bag. "Then see you second period?" Kevin called out walking backward towards the door slowly.

Just as Eddward nodded they heard the bell ring and he looked up at the clock "You have physics first correct?" he asked bringing his focus back on the other teen.

"Yeah"

"Take the east hall to class and avoid the north area of school"

Kevin nodded happily and waved goodbye as he made his way out of the natatorium. He looked both ways for familiar faces and pulled out his phone to quickly text Nazz to warn her as he made his way to the east hall just as instructed.

As he quickly walked down the hall he looked down at his phone to read the blonds saying she was already in class. When Kevin looked up he didn't have enough time to step aside from a tall body in front of him and ended up colliding. "Ugh" the small freckled teen bumped back rubbing at his nose and quickly looked up at the person he had crashed into "Sorry…" he mumbled.

A tall guy with dirty blond short hair looked back at him in surprise. As Kevin lowered his hand he stared at the student with a curious feeling that he has seen him before. The guy had an angular jawline, dark eyes, with an odd beauty mark on his right eye and wore an outfit eerily similar to Eddward's. He had on dark ripped jeans, combat boots and a dark gray leather jacket with a black shirt underneath. Even though the ginger was sure he hadn't ever seen the guy at Peach Creek before and was most likely a new student he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity. That is until the guy spoke…

"Nice to see you again Kevin"

…

"Double D!" the tall Ed burst through the natatorium doors as Eddward was about to make his way out to class.

"What's wrong? Aren't you supposed to be heading to class?" Eddward asked walking out with a breathless Ed right behind.

"Double D stop and listen to me" the brunette gripped the other's arm tightly getting the swimmer's attention. Eddward gave him a hard stare and Ed looked around quickly "I-It's Sam, he's here" he whispered.

The raven haired teen's eyebrows lowered into a glare "That can't be"

"He is! I heard Johnny talking to Jimmy about Sam transferring here so I went to look for him a-and…" Ed gulped "He _really_ is here..."

"He didn't announce anything during the meet up" Eddward started looking during his surroundings "Where is he Ed?"

"He was headed to the East wing" The taller teen pointed frantically towards the hall.

"What!" the swimmer turned around and made his way quickly towards the hall with Ed following a few footsteps behind.

"Double D what are we going to do?" Ed whispered looking around

As they quickly made their way down the hall Eddward noticed no signs of Kevin and pulled out his phone to text the teen.

"Double D" Ed called out again stopping as they came to the end of the hall

A sense of relief filled the raven haired teen seeing as the ginger boy had replied almost instantly saying he had made it to class with no trouble. Eddward turned back to Ed both hearing teachers hurrying students to get to class "For now go to class, we'll talk later"

…

Walking into his second period class brought a huge smile to the freckled teen's face. He instantly saw the face of the raven haired teen as he sat in the very back corner as per usual with a bored expression and book opened most likely three chapters ahead of the lecture already. He gave a swift smile as he noticed the taller teen look up noticing his presence and gave the smallest of hints of a smile. It was something that only the smaller teen would be able to detect.

Nazz rolled her eyes seeing Eddward and pulled Kevin to the side to take a seat farthest from the swimmer. Kevin giggled turning to give a smile again towards the other only getting a tight grip from Nazz. That entire period Kevin kept thinking how weird it was that now he felt safe being in the same room as Eddward Vincent, as compared to last year the entire period the little teen would feel terrified and anxious the entire time he could hardly focus on the lecture. Now, all he wanted was to go sit next to the raven haired teen. Though, he knew it wouldn't be a possibility because Nazz still looked at Eddward with distrust and anger and it seemed Eddward would return her scowl with a more irritated one. It was quite humorous really.

As the day passed Kevin and Nazz were easily able avoid any sort of confrontation with the J's. It helped that the two friends were in higher level classes than the bullies and now with Eddward and Ed's help they could conveniently avoid bumping into them. Simply put it was the most stress free Kevin has ever felt during school.

As fourth period rolled around Kevin purposefully waited until the last minute to enter the classroom knowing most would take up the front and middle seats. He casually made his way to the back where there was an open seat next to the swimmer and stuck his tongue out playfully and he approached. Eddward smirked leaning his cheek on a hand watching as Kevin took out some materials.

During their history class, Kevin kept giving small glances to the other during their already long and boring lecture and insisted on playing a game. So, every time their teacher would say the word 'History' Kevin would mark a point on the corner of his notes and every time their teacher said 'United States' Eddward would mark a point. After the lecture, they were given information about two big projects, one they had to do in pairs and another they had the choice of doing in pairs or individually. So of course, the two teens exchanged a look silently agreeing to pair up for the first project at least.

When the class ended Kevin had a total of 40 tally marks and Eddward 34. With that their little game ended and Eddward rustled the ginger hair teasingly. Sadly they had to separate as lunch was right after. Kevin and Nazz would meet up and go out to eat at a nearby fast food, and Eddward was going to go hunt down either Sam or Jimmy. Even though the raven haired teen instructed to leave the school as soon as possible Kevin couldn't help but linger around a tad bit as everyone began to exit the classroom.

Eddward rose an eyebrow noticing as Kevin simply leaned on the desk looking towards the classroom door watching as the teacher gave them a look before stepping out leaving them alone. The freckled teen looked back at the other with a small sigh "Is something wrong pumpkin?" the swimmer asked hanging the strap of his backpack over his shoulder.

"No nothing…just waiting for you" he blushed looking to the side.

With a smirk, Eddward leaned forward "As much as I appreciate the action it wouldn't be very wise to leave your girlfriend waiting alone for too long"

Rolling his eyes Kevin sighed with annoyance "How many times do I have to tell you we aren't a _thing_ "

"A _thing_?" Eddward smirked jokingly

"You know what I mean…r-romantic and shit" the ginger huffed with flushed cheeks

"Language pumpkin"

"Oh whatever"

The swimmer laughed at the freckled teen's cute reaction and smiled reaching a hand to pat the smaller teen's head. "I know…I'm just teasing"

Kevin watched Eddward retrieve his hand far too quickly for his liking and looked down wanting to reach out and hold the athlete's hand for comfort. "What are you going to do for lunch?" he asked remembering last year's sessions at the library.

Eddward scratched at his temple underneath his hat with a scowl "I've got some business to attend to…"

A small silence passed through them as Kevin waited for more of an explanation, but after a couples seconds, he knew he wasn't going to get one. "Ok…" he said beginning to turn around feeling a little down.

"I'll tell you about it after school" Eddward announced suddenly making the smaller teen stop in surprise.

Kevin turned around with a smile "Sounds good, I'll see ya in precalc then bye" he waved goodbye before quickly walking out of the classroom.

With a sigh and slump shoulders, Eddward tilted his head up to stare at the tiles on the ceiling. He rubbed his face in frustration…This emotion was going to be the death of him…

With that, he breathed in and walked out of the classroom in search for two certain blond haired guys.

…

It took him a while that's certain to find his target but was easily able to track him down as the new kid was the hot topic of gossip among the girls and some guys in school. He came across a circle of cheerleader girls huddle around a certain student…ew… As he approached some of the girls turned to give him googly eyes as well (again ew…) giving him the opportunity to see the face of the blond haired teen he had been searching for…Sam.

"Vincent! You're looking absolutely jolly" the dark eyed teen smirked taking a couple of steps toward a definitely not happy Eddward.

"Dubois, What an entirely unwelcome surprise" Eddward glared at the lingering girls hoping to scare them off.

Sam simply chuckled placing his hands in his jacket's pockets and nodding towards the girls notifying them to leave. "What an unsurprising welcome, though I do apologize for my secrecy" the teen hummed in joy seeing the angered swimmer.

Crossing his arms the raven haired teen crossed his arm tilting his head upwards "To what do we owe your hasty transfer to Peach Creek?"

The blond formed his lips into a pondering pout looking to the side where Jimmy was making his entrance "I believe that Peach Creek seemed to be in need of my attention" he looked back to Eddward.

"Do you?" Eddward looked to the side noticing Jimmy's presence as he stood a couple feet away leaving the two to speak comfortably "I presumed that Jim and I had the situation here perfectly under control"

"A little birdy has informed me that the mighty Eddward Vincent has gone soft" Sam stepped closer leaning in and lowered his voice "We both know that the fight at the party wasn't necessarily because of your personal issues with Eddy" he leaned back shrugging "I just think my favorite mate was probably in need of me…you know, to remind him who his loyalty lies with"

"You shouldn't worry I haven't forgotten such an important thing" Eddward breathed in frowning further.

"I'm pleased to hear that" Sam smiled but his cold stare said otherwise. Then leaned in closer again placing a hand on Eddward's shoulder "I'm the only one who accepts you Eddward…remember that"

The swimmer looked to the side silently nodding.

"Nonetheless, I will finish the last year of high school here in Peach Creek, and I've left Eddy in charge of Lemon Brook…the fool" he patted Eddward's shoulder playfully and shook his head sighing out.

"Understood" Eddward nodded his body tensing every passing moment.

Sam smirked looking over to Jimmy and nodded indicating him to come "Why don't you and Jimmy relax for today, it's only the first day"

Both Eddward and Jimmy nodded in unison "Good, Jimmy where is Johnny?" Sam asked with a pleased smile.

"He's in the football field" Jimmy muttered out

"Perfect, then I'll be seeing you gentlemen around" the blond waved as he made his way down the hall and instantly girls surrounded him once again.

Eddward turned to give the blond standing next to him a hard glare lifting himself to be highly intimidating "Why didn't you inform me of Sam's transfer?"

Jimmy turned to look at him with a sly smirk "Why are you assuming I knew?" he asked slumping his shoulder and looking at the flock of girls.

"Because I know you're his most trusted minion…he tells you _everything_ " The swimmer looked onward towards the disappearing girls as Sam made his exit down a hall.

The blond chuckled "Well Captain, he told me to stay quiet" he shrugged turning around "I can't refuse the king's request" he nodded towards the cafeteria "Shall we?"

"Not hungry" With a growl, Eddward began walking away to find a quiet place to think clearly. He pulled out his phone to text Ed [We have a problem…]

…

As Kevin and Nazz entered the school they saw Johnny standing by the entrance by some stairs and for a moment they both panicked until Kevin saw the guy from before sitting on the school's entrance stairs next to Johnny. He had given them a friendly smile and wave, so Kevin thought it was safe to pass. Miraculously Johnny did nothing but give them a glare and they swore that planks eyes did the same as they rushed inside.

The small ginger walked Nazz to her class first making sure she'd get there safely in case they bumped into Jimmy since he hadn't gotten an update from Eddward. Nazz had rubbed his arms to comfort him and told him to be careful while making his way through school. Confused he headed to their precalculus class with caution his eyes wandering in every direction wishing to not bump into anyone.

As he entered the class he spotted the raven haired teen sitting in the back with an awful glared directed downward onto his textbook. Clearly, the teen was in a horrible mood making the ginger teen wonder if it had something to do with whatever business he had to do during lunch break. Once again Kevin was able to take a seat next to the swimmer who seemed to lighten up a tad bit at his appearance. "Hey" Kevin said in a low voice taking a seat.

Eddward simply gave him a smile as a reply and Kevin frowned. He leaned closer and whispered to the other "You ok? Did something happen?" he looked at the other with concern.

The raven haired teen nodded "I'm fine, just some slight complications is all"

Kevin shook his head "Slight complications my ass, you look like your about to rip someone's head off" he whispered.

The athlete rubbed his face laughing making sure no one besides Kevin would hear him "Sorry, Psychotic murder seems to be my go to expression" With a sigh, he leaned closer to the freckled teen "You haven't had any trouble at all today?" he asked.

"No, not at all" Kevin leaned his cheek on a hand "Kind of weird actually…Did you do something?"

Eddward shook his head "That's good" he breathed in noticing the teacher begin to start class "There's something I need to discuss with you however"

"Your place?" Kevin whispered bending down so the teacher wouldn't see him taking.

The raven haired teen nodded then both teens turned their attention to the front of the classroom where the teacher was writing down information on the board.

…

The end of the school day came quickly as Kevin's sixth period was photography and then had an open seventh. Eddward had reassured the freckled teen that nothing was going to happen to Nazz that day so because Eddward had an open period as well they decided to leave school early. Kevin had messaged Nazz and Ed telling them he would leave and for Ed to look after Nazz.

With that they quickly made their way to Eddward's car, a sense of security filled Kevin as soon as he got inside letting out a sigh. The raven haired teen raised an eyebrow glancing over to the freckled teen as he started the car "You ok?"

"Hm?" Kevin turned to put the seat belt on "Yeah I guess"

"You guess?" the raven haired teen turned around to view the back as he started to pull out of the parking seeing a handful of students walking towards their own vehicles as well.

"I mean nothing bad happened right?" Kevin leaned into the seat looking towards the entrance frowning feeling anxious.

The swimmer, of course, caught the sudden behavior "She's going to be fine, don't stress"

"Why are you so sure? Is it because of Ed?" Kevin slumped further in his seat tilting his head to face the window.

"Well, partially yes" Eddward drove out of the high school heading towards his house "Ed will make sure nothing happens, and because Jimmy and Johnny have been told to behave at least for today"

Kevin smiled softly looking over towards the swimmer "I'm glad you're friends with Ed again…"

At this the raven haired teen seemed to flush "I wouldn't say we're friends…more like acquaintances"

The freckled teen giggled at that "I'd say that's a fancy way of calling someone a friend, but I'm still happy for you"

"Why is that?" Eddward slowed down to a stop light now able to glance over at the smaller teen who had a charming smile on him as he stared right back.

"I guess because you have someone in your life that gets you completely" Kevin breathed out "Someone who _knows_ you…and you can openly talk with"

Accelerating once again Eddward hummed "and I can't do that with you?" he suddenly asked meaning to keep it in his thoughts but flushed once he spilled out the words.

"I-I m-mean Y-YEAH" Kevin squeaked out blushing. He clearing his voice as a way to control it "…I-if you want to o-of course I'm all ears, but I mean like you and Ed have known each other longer and even though you had a fall out he still really cares about you a-and what I'm trying to say is that he knows a whole lot more about you than I do…" the freckled teen paused looking at his hands "…he knows a lot more…"

"W-what do you want to know?" Eddward asked feeling a sudden rush of courage of letting the curious teen explore more.

"Y-you don't have to! If you don't want to I mean… I'm just being weird I guess, but don't worry about it. Just tell me whenever you want to" Kevin continued to stare out the window feeling guilty of pressuring the other.

"Then, I want to now…But in turn you have to provide an answer too"

Kevin turned to look at Eddward who was extremely focused on the road ahead. His pretty blue eyes shining brightly with the reflection of the sun "Ok…first question then" Kevin paused thinking for a moment "F-favorite color?"

"Wine red, yours?"

"Emerald green"

Eddward smiled "Suites you"

"Same" Kevin looked away noticing he had been staring "um second question…Favorite season?"

"Winter" The raven haired teen stopped once again turning over to look at Kevin.

"Ugh mines summer because of summer break and my birthday" Kevin blushed then realized something important "Third question, when is your birthday?"

Eddward chuckled "December 4th"

Kevin made sure to make a mental note to remind him of it "Cool, well you already know mine so ugh fourth…" he peeked up at the other wondering if it was alright to try and cross the line just a tiny bit "…w-what was the scariest moment in your life so far?" he gulped staring at the other who seemed to tense up. "M-mine has to be…um…" Kevin shivered as he breathed in remembering the recent memory "The panic attack…I felt like I was going to die"

With a frown Eddward muttered "You could have…"

"But I didn't" Kevin sadly smiled then stayed silent waiting for Eddward to respond. The rest of the way the raven haired teen said nothing and Kevin thought the other was simply done with the questioning but every time he looked over he could see Eddward think hard about that scary moment. He felt bad for asking and bringing it back to the other's mind. When Kevin was going to apologize he had realized they had reached Eddward's home. Usually, the swimmer would let his car park outside, but today he had decided to open the garage door and drove in. After he had turned off the ignition Eddward let go of the steering wheel and breathed in deeply.

Kevin noticed he had let the door to the garage open letting the sun illuminate the dim room. Eddward stared down at his hands in lost thought "Eddward…" Kevin began but was stopped as the other slowly took his seat belt off and ripped his hat off letting loose the raven locks. Then the taller teen's piano fingers ran through his head pulling back the hair making it easy for Kevin to look at Eddward's forehead. Kevin stared at him in silent curiosity knowing he meant the scar…

"This…" Eddward finally croaked out "…This was the scariest moment" a finger lingered next to the scar. His ocean eyes continued to stare down harshly at the beanie in his lap.

Kevin took off his seat belt turning and leaning closer to the athlete "May I?" he cautiously asked

Eddward didn't reply but simply lowered his hand letting the hair fall forward once again. Kevin then tilted Eddward's face up to face him and with a gently hand ran it through pulling some of the hair back. The taller teen closed his eyes slightly leaning into the touch "Is that why you hide it?"

Eddward opened his eyes slightly looking down and nodded

"Don't" Kevin said soothing the small amount of pale skin with his thumb

"It hurts every time I see it…and touch it" the raven haired muttered out childishly

The ginger teen frowned "Am I hurting you?" he asked taking his thumb away

"No…" Eddward mumbled

Kevin smiled with a soft chuckle "See?" he began to rub the scar again "There's no need to hide it"

"There is"

"Why?" Kevin asked leaning back tilting his head down to meet the ocean eyes. Eddward looked up to meet his and looked back down and silent click sound was made before Kevin realized it was the garage door closing.

"It…it's a reminder of the person's hatred" Eddward mumbled leaning on to the smaller teen. His face was hidden in Kevin's shoulder.

"S-someone gave you that scar?" Kevin asked highly concerned "Wait, I-is from when Ed pushed you?"

Kevin could feel the vibration of Eddward's dark chuckle and shook his head "that injury is long gone"

That only made the freckled teen frown more "Then…who?"

"Some bastard…" was Eddward's only response meaning he didn't want to reveal the person's identity just yet. So Kevin wrapped an arm around Eddward's shoulder and cradled the other's head with the other. The ginger boy looked out of the car window seeing nothing but dark figures of the objects the swimmer kept wondering where, when, who, and most of all why…

"You wanna know what I see what I look at the scar?" Kevin smiled hugging the teen a little tighter.

"Hm?" the taller teen groaned out

"I see strength and survival" Kevin lowered a hand to rub at Eddward's wrist with a thumb underneath the sleeves of his jacket and shirt.

Kevin could once again feel the laughter if the other "Right" he mumbled out

"I'm serious" The ginger teen spoke sternly "Look, despite the fact that you cover them up, the scars are still there…they're forever going to be there" Kevin held the teen's wrist tightly "It's so strong of you to live with those memories in your face twenty-four seven and manage to accomplish so much." He took a moment to pause "Why don't you let the world see how strong you are?"

Eddward lifted himself from Kevin and looked at the hand that continued to hold onto his wrist "I can't let them see it…it'll cause trouble…at least not yet"

Kevin couldn't help but be ten times more curious about the full backstory of the pretty little scar on Eddward's forehead. "A scar can't cause trouble silly"

Breathing in Eddward looked to the side "Can we stop for today?"

Taken aback Kevin leaned back and hesitantly let go of the raven haired teen's wrist "Ok"

On that note, Eddward sent small smile towards Kevin wishing the ginger teen would have kept his hand on his wrist "come on"

Kevin followed Eddward out of the car and cautiously made his way in the dark hoping not to trip on something remembering how there used to be a lot of empty bottles on the ground. He then felt Eddward's hand grip his arm slowly leading him up the stairs "By the way, I would never let Ed do what you do" Kevin heard Eddward murmur in the dark before opening the door.

…

Kevin sat on the couch with a pillow on his lap as he waited for Eddward who was getting snacks. The moment in the garage still getting his full attention in his mind from the situation with the scar to the last thing Eddward said. What did he even mean by that? He really wanted to ask but felt too embarrassed to do it…friends hugged right? That's a thing right? He hugged Nazz all the time and even Ed is a hugger. So why wouldn't Eddward let Ed hug him? What did Kevin do that Ed wasn't allowed?

"Here you go" Eddward came back into the living room with a bowl of grapes and cut up melon.

Kevin took it gratefully popping a grape into his mouth "thanks" then noticed Eddward sitting down without one of his own "Aren't you having anything?" he asked.

"No I'm not hungry" Eddward leaned back on the couch watching the other eat.

"Did you even have lunch today? You said you had some business to take care of and clearly that didn't go well" the smaller teen pouted lowering the bowl to his lap.

Eddward hesitated a moment as he thought of the day's events "…Yes I did"

"Seriously, you're such a bad liar" Kevin chuckled he picked up a piece of melon with the fork and placed it up to Eddward's face "Come on eat"

"No I'm fine really" the raven haired teen leaned back.

"You are not fine" Kevin insisted "You haven't had food since the morning and that is _if_ you had breakfast. Besides you have work in like two hours" he chuckled "If your stomach growls Ms. Adams will bring out a buffet for you"

Eddward shook his head with a smile "I'm used to it"

"Being used to it isn't good" Kevin shoved the fork closer towards the other "please eat"

Clearly, the swimmer wasn't able to resist Kevin's pleas because he opened his mouth accepting the piece of melon. "That wasn't too hard was it?" Kevin asked pleased then scooted closer so Eddward could easily grab. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?

Eddward leaned forward "Kevin, you're positive nothing happened today, to you or Nazz?"

Kevin gave him a questioning look "No nothing happened to either of us" he said lifting the bowl to make Eddward grab a grape. "What happened to you though?"

With a growl Eddward chewed "The most irritating thing…" he sighed running a hand through his hair "Kevin, I'm going to need you to take extra precautions during school"

"why?" Kevin he asked

"Remember I told you there was someone I had to respond to?"

"Yeah, they're in lemon brook right?" Kevin asked popping another grape into his mouth.

"No, he just transferred over to Peach Creek this year. He is the new student everyone has been talking about?" Eddward said in a pondering way still trying to figure out why the hell the guy would go through the trouble of transferring.

"Sam?" Kevin asked more confused than ever

"Y-yeah" Eddward turned with furrowed eyebrows "Is he in a class with you?"

"No he isn't" Kevin smile "I bumped into him this morning. He isn't someone mean though" he shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell me" Eddward leaned closer to the freckled teen who stared at him with wide eyes.

"Calm down, I didn't know and besides nothing happened. We simply greeted each other and that was it" Kevin bit into a piece of melon "We went to elementary and middle school together"

"So you know each other?"

"Kinda yeah" Kevin shrugged "He isn't that bad I'm sure if you just tell him you want out he'll let you"

Eddward shook his head leaning back "He isn't like that at all"

The smaller teen smiled turned to feed the other another piece of melon "You never know until you try"

Eddward laughed "That didn't go well for Ed"

"What do you mean?" Kevin leaned back now touching shoulders with the taller teen.

"He used to be in the gang in Lemon Brook. When he decided to quit Sam made his school life utterly dreadful until he couldn't take it anymore and finally transferred" the raven haired teen leaned into the touch of the other. "Well, it was more than simply quitting… it was the fact that Ed was trying to help the targets"

"B-But maybe if I try talking to Sam" Kevin placed the bowl down to fully turn to face Eddward "I think I can reason with him"

Eddward shook his head "No, absolutely not I don't want you interacting with him. He's dangerous Kevin"

"More than you or Jimmy ever were?" Kevin sadly asked meeting the other's eyes.

With a sad frown, Eddward lowered his eyes nodding "potentially"

"…Ok, I'll listen to you" the freckled teen mumbled out "So what are we supposed to do?"

Eddward sighed "I'm not sure yet… I have to discuss that with Ed"

"Wait what's going to happen to Ed?" the freckled teen turned with concern

Eddward looked over to Kevin with a frown "Nothing good…"

They both sat in silence staring at each other with concerned looks. Kevin then leaned back on the couch lifting his legs to hug tightly to his chest frowning as his idea of an easy going school year was going down the drain. "A-are you going to stay then…like before?"

Eddward looked down at his hands that formed fists "Not like before…but I have to stay"

"Ok…" Kevin sulked thinking of ways to end this. Nazz was right, this whole hierarchy the bullies played had to be stopped and the only way to stop it was to take down the king. He looked at Eddward's hands and made his way up to his face seeing as he was clearly in frustration over the situation. Sam seemed like an easy to talk to kind of guy. If Kevin got Eddward to talk to him maybe he could do something about Sam as well.

Tomorrow he would search for him

…

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought!_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	41. Chapter 41

**_I'm Back!_**

 ** _Haha sorry for really long wait for this chapter, but University has been taking all my time and creativity. I had a huge writer's block and lack of motivation for writing. ANYWAYS I think I figured out a good schedule to work on AWA though updating time might remain every two weeks. If you would like to be informed of any updates about AWA plz follow me on Tumblr or Instagram! (Arielagam)_**

 ** _Hope you enjoy this chapter though it's shorter than chap. 40 (Also plz excuse errors and such I've barely done any edit to this lol)_**

* * *

Early in the morning Eddward had decided to meet up with Ed at the natatorium an hour and a half before school officially started. As captain of the swim team, Eddward's coach had seen how much the teen enjoyed being in the water and allowed him to have a spare key throughout the school year even when swimming wasn't in season. They sat at the top of the bleachers in silence was they thought of what was to come in the following year.

"At least this is Sam's last year" Ed sighed looking up at the ceiling with hunched shoulders leaning back onto the wall. "I don't know what I'd do if I had to deal with him for two years"

Eddward turned to look at the other "When Sam leaves we have Jimmy to deal with and who knows how harsh his supremacy will be"

"Jimmy? You're not going to take over?" Ed asked with slight surprise

"No, I've never had any intention of taking after Sam, why do you ask?" The raven haired teen raised an eyebrow.

The tall brunette looked at Eddward for a moment before chuckling "Everyone in Lemon Brook thinks it's going to be you…Eddy's an idiot" he mumbled out.

"Sam probably doesn't want any shit about leaving the gang to a lower rank member…and correct, we've established that already" the swimmer continued to stare at the taller teen with a questioning look.

"The only reason Eddy is...so obedient I guess is that he wants to take over and defeat you in that sense" Ed frowned crossing his arms.

Shaking his head, Eddward rolled his eyes "He's playing Sam's bitch...does whatever he's ordered to"

The freckled brunette hummed in agreement "...so?"

Leaning forward Eddward rested his elbows in his knees carefully watching the clear water shimmer in the daylight "So, I continue to play Sam's faithful knight and you watch over Kevin and Nazz just as planned"

"Double D..." Ed stared harshly "This needs to stop one day..."

"Ed, you must understand that we are outnumbered. We cannot possibly go up against Sam and Jimmy. They have their fathers to cover their asses but I will be expelled if the department of education finds my association to the gang" Eddward lowly growled "Not only that but Jimmy and Sam will personally see to ruin us and our chances of living a quiet life...they have power we do not"

With a frown Ed gulped "We need _something_ to help us"

"..." the raven haired teen knew he could leave the gang and upon leaving it he would be leaving behind the power he had over the school and trust and respect of the J's and Sam. If he left the gang he would be able to perhaps avoid expulsion from the school, but everything else that came? Ed hadn't had it easy...Leaving would also result in the lack of knowledge to protect Kevin and his annoying blond princess. Without knowledge from the inside it would be difficult to predict the member's plans.

"What if you took over?" Ed breathed

"I've just told you I have no-"

"I know I know! But listen to me Double D" he smiled turning to properly face the other "Take over after Sam, and once you do you can do anything so you disband the gang before we graduate" the teen said excitedly "Simple as that!"

Eddward thought over the plan nodding as he approved though he didn't like it "...that may work, however, Jimmy is Sam's right hand man and logically the title will belong to him"

"Then, take it away from him" Ed placed a hand on the others shoulder grinning "Make Sam whole heartily trust you, he may even spill something we can black mail Jimmy with"

"...you're a genius Ed" Eddward turned to smirk at the taller boy who seemed proud of himself.

"Well of course, I am Double D I'm valedictorian" he winked and elbowed the swimmer

Laughing Eddward shook his head "Simply because I choose not to beat your ass during exams"

"Nope don't care. Technically I'm the smartest kid in Peach Creek High and your second" Ed stood up making his way down the bleachers. He turned to stuck his tongue out playfully though the turn back around nearly made him slip.

Eddward grinned "whatever" he chuckled standing up and following the other Ed down.

"You want to know what I have planned for the graduation?" Ed stated more so than asked once he jumped off the bleachers and looked up at the other a few steps above.

"Let me guess, confetti?" The swimmer asked seemingly uninterested.

"Nope" Ed chuckled in a dark tone "I'll call in sick and make them have you do it"

The raven haired teen stopped in his tracks and intensely stared at Ed "Do not" he stated threateningly.

This made the brunette roar with laughter "I will now!"

"No you will not!" Eddward continued walking down in a rush chasing after Ed who was quickly walking away. "Ed!" Eddward nearly slipped at the last step and flushed when he heard the other's roaring laugh. With a scowl, the raven haired teen steadied himself into his usual straight pose tugging at his leather jacket uncomfortably. He tried keeping the frown though he couldn't help the twitch of a faint smile on his lips from hearing the other's chuckling. It felt good talking to his old friend about simple high school matters, it made him feel grounded and childish.

Ed had practically been a family member to him and there was surely no one in Peach Creek who knew him better than the silly looking brunette. Certainly, it was going to take some time for Eddward to fully trust Ed with his own personal issues once again, but in that moment it felt great to let his guard down for a moment and laugh along with the other teen.

The tall short haired brunette seemed just as pleased with their friendly exchange and gave him a warm smile after calming down from his laughing fit. It was then that Eddward remembered something about the teen that he had almost forgotten. "Ed…" he began his smile dropping down to a sad frown.

"What's wrong Double D?" Ed questioned with a puzzled look dropping his smile as well at the concerned look the other gave him.

Eddward shifted placing his hands in his pockets and looking back at the locker rooms making sure there was still no one around. "How is Sarah?" he asked hesitantly knowing it was somewhat of a sensitive subject for the brunette.

At the mention of the girl, Ed smiled again happy to hear the other's concerns "She's doing a lot better these days, thanks for asking"

The swimmer gave his companion a firm nod "That's good to hear…she's always been strong willed"

"Yeah, she's a fighter alright" Ed chuckled then looked down at his phone to check the time "I'll go check the library and see if Kevin and Nazz are there I'll… see you later Double D"

Eddward nodded in agreement watching as the other opened the doors to the natatorium and quickly look both sides of the hall. Then Ed waved goodbye with a goofy grin and rushed out leaving the athlete alone.

Perhaps Kevin wasn't wrong about rebuilding his old friendship with Ed. The more time they sent together the more nostalgic it felt. A familiarity and comfort he once had with this person was beyond tempting to have once again in his grasp. Yet, hurt still lingered and with it came a flood of painful memories.

Having the big guy back in his life was definitely pleasant as he seemed to have changed for the better. If Eddward had to be honestly he enjoyed the company and simple talks though he would never admit it out loud. However, he couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal from the teen as well; he couldn't let his guard completely down around Ed, not like he did with Kevin.

For some peculiar reason, Kevin had managed to climb the walls he had built easily and gain his trust quickly. Eddward had been confused for a long time, however, something about the lively teen radiated pure trustworthiness. Kevin had been very persistent and strong to have stayed this long with the grumpy swimmer and that only made Eddward grateful.

He wasn't sure when it had happened but Kevin had managed to get Eddward to show his vulnerable side…a side he was absolutely terrified to show anyone. Of course, the raven haired teen still had secrets and dark thoughts he would prefer to keep to himself still afraid that one of those secrets would make the boy run away. Though with each intimate moment he shared with the freckled teen the more Eddward was willing to test the waters.

Ed, however, knew almost everything about him. The guy knew all his hopes and fears and though he may not know about his suicidal attempts he was here now ready to fully support Eddward. The raven haired teen just needed time…the wound Ed and Eddy had left was only starting to heal. Eddward headed into the locker rooms to gather his things feeling nauseated from the thought of the third Ed…

…

Nazz sat across the table vigorously looking down at her notebook as her small pale hand moved in a rush manner preparing for an upcoming essay soon to be due in their AP Lit class. The ginger teen sighed with annoyance falling back in his seat as he stared up through the window watching the puffy clouds sluggishly move through the sky. It had nearly been a week into the new school year and already they were bombarded with a million tedious tasks to do.

Kevin tapped at the screen of his phone quickly glancing at the time before the screen turned off once again. The screen displayed 7:20 for some short seconds before darkening and reflecting his image on the screen. He stared at the screen looking back his image questioning if he truly dared to step into enemy territory. There was nearly an hour before their day began, and this gave Kevin enough time to go searching for Sam.

He had stepped into enemy territory once before, though accidentally before it became something purposefully. The freckled teen was aware that _this_ wasn't the same as when he had gone searching for Eddward. Kevin had no real reason to go searching for Sam, and if the guy deemed so Kevin could be easily handed to the lions to be torn apart. Eddward and Sam were different despite their similar appearances. Eddward, as Kevin had noticed long ago, stood in during the beatings as a way to control the J's from over doing it. Sam was unknown…

The unknown knowledge of who Sam had turned out to be scared the freckled teen. Though, it wasn't enough to shrivel up his determination to get the raven haired out of this chaos. Sam had something on Eddward and he needed to find out what that was. Though, it concerned him that Eddward had yet to trust him with that information, meaning it meant a whole lot to the swimmer.

So, two minutes of contemplating Kevin finally came to a conclusion "Hey, I'll be right back. Gotta go to the bathroom" he lied standing up from his seat.

Nazz hand stopped moving and looked up slowly "ok" she responded without suspicion quickly returning to look at the journal full of neat scribbles. "Ed should be here soon" she commented as her hand began moving once again regaining her lost focus.

Kevin nodded turning away "right" he said rethinking his choice of looking for Sam. If Ed noticed his disappearance then his plans would all tumble down. _Better make it quick_ he thought quickly making his way out of the library and sneaking off into the East hall where he had bumped into the tall blond on the first day.

For the past couple of days, he had attempted to find Sam to no avail. It was as if the guy was in hiding or knew how to avoid the ginger teen. It was very suspicious and worrisome because it only made the small teen think about the blonde's gang activities. It didn't help Kevin that the senior students were so obnoxious and territorial. There were certain areas in the upper levels of the high school that 'belonged' to the upperclassmen. He gave a scowl in the direction of a group of upperclassmen huddled together as he passed by.

There were a lot of things wrong with Peach Creek High from corrupt principal to a chaotic student system. It was simply impossible for teachers and grown up to not be aware of things that happened at the school. He was sure this whole hierarchy was put in play many years ago when adults like Kevin's dad went here. Though, why did no one ever say anything? Were they all afraid of whoever was in charge, maybe they chose to believe it was all over or perhaps they really didn't care? It was weird... if he had a kid and knew that their school was messed up then Kevin would surely move away knowing well how it feels to be on the victim's side. Hopefully, Eddward and Ed figured out something to put a stop to this situation. It wasn't right at all…

Kevin came to figure out that Sam was quite the difficult one to find even though the entire school swooned and talked about him. It was as if he was hiding and knew Kevin was looking for him. No matter where the small teen wondered off to he just couldn't find the tall blond. So, in that particular morning when Kevin turned a corner of the math section he found Sam leaning against some lockers scrolling through his phone as if waiting for him.

The blond looked up from his bright screen to observe the small ginger that stood stunned a few feet away. "Hey there freckles"

…

Ed walked into the now busy library noticing more students roaming the halls the closer it got to the start of their school day. His long legs carried him through the library to the very back where he found Nazz anxiously looking at her phone. She gasped when she saw him and stood up rushing over to him. "What's wrong? Where is Kevin Nazz?" he rushed to meet her.

"I don't know he said he was going to the bathroom but that was like 25 minutes ago!" she gasped in horror "you don't think the J's have him?"

Ed frantically turned around to go out looking for the ginger when he suddenly stopped in his tracts seeing the familiar ginger teen enter the library. Both he and the girl released a breath of relief. Kevin gave them a small wave when he spotted them.

"Kevin where were you!" Nazz exclaimed as she rushed over to the freckled teen and inspected him for any injuries.

"Sorry, I remembered I had to grab my Lit text from my locker" he smiled sheepishly

Nazz sighed again shaking her head slowly "You had me worried dumb dumb… You could have at least waited for Ed to go with you"

"My bad, but I'm fine Nazz" Kevin reassured the girl with a soft smile. "Hey Ed" he turned his attention to the taller teen.

"Hi Hi" Ed greeted him with a relieved smile "Double D would have had my head if something happened" Ed laughed nervously.

"Double D…" Nazz turned to look at Ed with a puzzled look and raised eyebrow "I haven't heard that nickname since the three of you broke it off" she frowned in thought "Good thing Eddy isn't here or else this school would be a complete disaster…I'm getting a headache just remembering middle school" she muttered.

Kevin simply gave her an apologetic look and chuckled trying to imagine who this Eddy guy was. Clearly, it was a touchy subject to the two Ed's, both usually turning somber and angry at the name.

They heard the bell ring loudly indicating the start of their school day. While the entire student body rapidly rushed out of the library, Kevin and Nazz quickly headed back to their table to quickly gather their things with Ed following cheerily behind.

…

Their days quickly fell into a routine and although the J's were still up to their usual deeds they seemed to leave Kevin and Nazz alone. This puzzled the ginger teen completely. There had been many instances that Kevin had bumped ran into the J's and many times they simply glared at him or scared him off. Never, however, did they catch him. Perhaps they had gotten bored with him or maybe this was Eddward's doing. Either way, Kevin couldn't be more thankful than he had been these couple of weeks.

The situation with Sam was quite weird for Kevin and it only got weirder the more he spent time talking to him. During their quick talks (which usually took place in the morning or during lunch), Kevin would notice simple traits of the blonde's character. Sam, as Kevin came to noticed was a lot like Eddward when he was still bullying. They both possessed this particular trait, besides their piercing blue eyes. Neither boy let themselves be found or heard unless they wanted one to.

There were times when Sam was clearly irritated and Kevin knew to keep at a distance. While Eddward let his frustration show, Sam did not let it show directly. Sam would smile though Kevin would notice his lip twitch and eyes would be cold.

Throughout their simple conversations Kevin and Sam typically talked about their two years after middle school usually leaving out anything related to the bullying and it was as if Sam knew nothing the gang that he ran. That is until this particular day when Sam and Kevin sat on the stair case that went from the back part of the school to the second floor.

The two boys had gone silent for a long moment observing the tiles on the stairs. "How are Eddward, Jimmy and Johnny treating you?" he asked casually leaning back.

"W-what do you mean?" Kevin asked perplexed by the sudden question.

Sam gave him a look with a raised eyebrow "Don't think I don't know you are their desired target to play with" he smirked.

"I…What?" Kevin tried to play oblivious looking to the side.

The tall blond simply chuckled and reached over to lightly pull at Kevin's collar "I see they've been good" he smiled seeing nothing but pale freckled skin.

"What are you talking about?" the ginger teen frowned pushing away the hand.

"Don't play ignorant freckles" Sam leaned forward.

Kevin frowned deeper leaning away "What's it to you?" he asked meeting the other's terribly dark eyes.

"Nothing" Sam hummed looking up to the ceiling "Just be pleased you are on good terms with me"

"Are you their leader?" Kevin asked now finding some courage to step further in the water.

"Something like that" he hummed continuing his intense stare on the ceiling.

"Why?" Kevin turned to look at the blond now.

Sam lowered his eyes to meet Kevin's "Why what?"

"Why are you doing this?"

The blonde pouted in thought and sighed after a moment "boredom?" he smirked "and this is _very_ entertaining"

" _What?"_ Kevin gasped out astonished at the simple answer he received "Are you serious?"

"Oh very serious love" Sam grin's grew seeing the flush on the other.

Kevin wasn't sure if he was flushing from fury or the stupid little nickname but he was most definitely angry. "What the fuck man!" Kevin stood up looking down "What the actual FUCK. Do you know many people are suffering because of your fucking boredom?"

Sam stood up as well now towering over Kevin much the same way Eddward had done. Eyes dark and penetrating, frown prominent and intimidating. "Don't raise your voice" his voice was harsh. "…and don't get on my bad side, freckles" Sam stated.

The blonde's fingers wrapped gently around Kevin bringing him close "Eddward is very good at disciplining people like you…" Kevin eyes went wide at the statement and held his breath terrified Sam would toss him down the stairs right then and now. "I will be very distraught if I have to call him…Do I have to call him?" he asked.

Kevin shook his head slowly his body going tense and frozen at the other's words. "I am pleased you understand freckles" Sam let go ruffling the ginger hair under the cap. "I'll see you around then" the blonde lazily stepped down the stairs and left leaving behind a very stunned ginger.

He felt his entire body begin to tremble leaving his lungs a suffocating mess. He slowly sank back down on the stairs realization that Sam was the one controlling this game. If he fucked up the tall blonde would snap his fingers and there he would instantly be again to the same spot getting beat up by the J's. Where would Eddward stand in this? Would he leave him again? Would he defend him this time? What did Sam even mean by Eddward was good as disciplining people like him? It was harder to breathe with every popping question that soared through his mind.

What did Eddward even do?

…

Eddward easily noted the ghostly expression that the ginger boy held as he entered their precalc classroom and gave him a very concerned look. He waited until Kevin sat down next to him and noticed the boy made no effort in making eye contact with him. "Kevin?" Eddward whispered lowly enough for the other to hear.

"Hm?" Kevin hummed still avoiding making eye contact but moving to take out a notebook and pencil.

"Kevin look at me" Eddward raised his voice a just a bit to sound firm. However, Kevin would not turn instead he saw the teen squeeze at his pencil tightly. It frustrated Eddward that he couldn't do a thing about it as their class was just seconds from starting, so he resolved in leaving the teen alone for now.

The rest of their class went by excruciatingly slow. The raven haired teen would glance to the other and became more concerned every time he did. He noticed after two glances that Kevin was not paying attention to their lecture at all. The ginger's freckled hands would not move to take notes, nor did his olive eyes see reality. It was as if Kevin was deeply thinking or conceivably remembering something.

Eddward wanted nothing more than to pull the small teen out of the classroom and rip him away from whatever was causing him distress. So, as the clocked finally ticked to the last minute ending their 5th period, Eddward quickly shoved his belongings in his backpack and did the same thing with Kevin's. It was then that the freckled teen finally looked at him with surprise and confusion and the athlete only frowned at him.

The swimmer grabbed Kevin by the arm and led him out of the classroom. "What are you doing?" Kevin yelped as he was dragged along a hall.

"We're leaving" Eddward frowned

"What why?" the ginger tried to catch up to the other's long steps.

Eddward simply turned and frowned at him and made Kevin shut up. The freckled teen went limp and let the other pull him along. A few moments of silence and Eddward abruptly came to a stop making Kevin look up. They were hiding behind a corner as Eddward silently looked around looking for another direction. Suddenly Kevin's hearing seemed to came to its senses as he heard Jimmy laughing on the other side. He lifted his hand to hold onto Eddward's jacket for comfort.

In a quick second, Eddward turned them around and quickly headed down a different hall. This particular hall he knew led them down to the natatorium. As soon as Kevin, saw the door to the room he felt calmed. Eddward pulled out a set of keys and opened the door ushering Kevin inside first. Then locked the door again once inside.

Kevin stepped onto the bleachers and dropped his backpack on the floor taking a seat and staring at the shimmering water. His view was interrupted as a dark figured stepped in front of him with crossed arms and a frown (though Eddward looked worried than upset). "Tell me what happened" the other demanded.

The smaller teen looked up in a trance taking a moment to process the question "…nothing" he croaked out.

"Kevin I'm serious" The swimmer's frown deepened.

Kevin's mouth opened to say something but he seemed to lose his voice. What should he do? He wasn't sure if he should tell the other of his meetings with Sam. Obviously, he would be angry, but if Kevin were to upset Sam…Kevin didn't want Eddward to find out in that way. "It's Sam…" he finally spoke in a whisper looking down at his feet.

"Did he do anything to you?" Eddward lowered himself in front of Kevin's knees meeting the teen's olive eyes.

Kevin shook his head "No, that's not it" he muttered forming his small hands into fists. "Can you answer me something?" he questioned thinking back to what Sam said.

The swimmer hesitantly nodded surprised by the question "What is it?"

Kevin straightened up looking away from the other's stare "um…What do you do?"

Eddward raised an eyebrow "What do you mean?"

"I mean in the g-gang…" He looked down at the blue eyed teen looking at him curiously "…What do you _do_?"

The raven haired gulped looking down at Kevin freckled hand "I'd rather you not know" he mumbled sadly.

"I want to know…" Kevin frowned

With a sigh, Eddward turned to look at Kevin again "You're avoiding my question"

"And you're avoiding mine" Kevin breathed out a frustrated sigh. "Sam said you disciplined people like me, what does that mean?"

At that Eddward seemed to pause, his eyebrows lowering and face darkening "Have you been talking to him?"

Kevin held his breath knowing there was no going back on his words "…yeah" he mumbled in a low whisper lowering his gaze.

Eddward face went emotionless as he stood up rubbing at his neck "What did I tell you" he spoke huskily.

Kevin followed the other with his eyes in apology "I'm sorry…I know you told me to stay away but I just thought—"

"That Sam would listen or that he would regret his actions?" Eddward turned looking at Kevin with irritation.

"Maybe…?" Kevin said stupidly "I mean I don't know I was able to talk to you…"

Eddward stared down at the teen stunned "What am I?"

The ginger teen looked up unable to answer the other's question "Your Eddward…"

"What am I to you?" The athlete questioned again in frustration "It sounds like you tamed the lion and are looking to go conquer the next monster"

"What! No! Eddward no! You're my friend!" Kevin stood up shocked.

"He and I are _not_ the same" Eddward's body tensed "He isn't what you think Kevin. There is a reason why I specifically instructed you to stay away. This is a problem Ed and I will resolve. _You_ just need to stay away"

"I can't let you deal with this alone!" Kevin grabbed at the other's jacket "I'm trying to help you!"

"You can't do anything about it! This is my mess to deal with and I'm just trying to protect you!" Eddward grabbed Kevin arm tensely.

"Tell me!" Kevin yelled out "Tell me what Sam is black mailing you with and I'll find a way out for you"

"I can't do that" Eddward turned away "It'll ruin everything…" he tightly held onto Kevin's arm. "I…" He paused closing his eyes "Please…Please just listen to me"

Kevin sighed sadly placing his hand on the other's strong grip. "Promise me you'll find a way out" the ginger teen whimpered out.

"I will" Eddward loosened his hold.

The smaller teen then wrapped his arms around the other's torso and squeezed tightly "I don't want this to get out of hand Eddward…"

"It won't" Eddward mumbled wrapping an arm around the smaller teen "Now…What did Sam say to you?"

Kevin tightened his hold hiding his face in the other's chest. "He didn't say much…Just told me that if I didn't behave he would call you to discipline me"

"What did you say?" Eddward pulled Kevin away staring at him almost scared.

Kevin looked up with wide confused eyes "nothing…well, I kind of got mad and yelled at him"

"Damn it Kevin" Eddward whispered holding tightly onto Kevin shoulders.

"Are you going to follow through if he does call you?" Kevin questioned his hands still holding tightly onto the other's jacket.

"Of course not…but's it's too early for him to figure that out" Eddward sighed out lowering his head.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to complicate things for you" Kevin mumbled

Those beautiful cyan eyes glanced up meeting his olive orbs "I understand but leave this in my hands ok?"

"Yeah…ok" Kevin bit his lip realizing how safe he felt in the other's arms. It felt warm and comforting though the action only reminded him of Sam's terrifying embrace making him leaning closer to Eddward.

The swimmer on the other hand, felt nothing but restless after the discovery of Kevin's meetings with Sam. This was definitely not going to end well because the tall blond had no reason what's so ever to interact with Kevin. Meaning Sam was aware of something…or else he would have threatened Kevin with calling Jimmy to do the evil deed. Eddward needed to make sure no one was aware that the freckled teen wrapped up in his embrace was utterly his mortal flaw.

…

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 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought!_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	42. Chapter 42

_**No excuses... i'm just hella busy with University guys sorry -_-**_

 _ **Also, I struggled with writing the second 1/2 of this chapter. Wasn't sure abouta lott of things and where i wanted this chapter to go so i had to rewrite some. Now that i am satisfied please enjoy this new chapter lol**_

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It unsettled Kevin leaving everything to the hands of Eddward. He couldn't stand in the side lines and watch as everything happened. Though he knew it was for the wellbeing of him and Nazz the ginger boy couldn't but felt it was a cowardly act. Somehow he just had to contribute not simply for the sake of Eddward getting out scot free but also for the entire school.

He now fully understood Nazz's consent attempts to do something about it. This was dangerous territory, however it would be worse if they graduated and left behind a harmful gang to continue ruling. Sure, one day Kevin and Nazz and everyone in Peach Creek High would one day graduate and leave. Yet, there still remained the future generations…every year knew students came in unaware of the danger. Kevin didn't want any more kids suffering; he wanted to put this entire thing to an end.

Looking over the raven haired teen sometimes he would wonder how Eddward had managed to get himself in this mess. He wondered if Sam forced Eddward into the gang or if the swimmer joined willingly. He hadn't dared to ask after their discussion in the natatorium where the dark haired teen had refused to answer his question. The silence only concerned the freckled teen however and urged him further to aid the other.

Nazz supported him one hundred percent though obviously unconvinced about Eddward's contribution. She hated the idea of aligning with the raven haired and thought he was going to betray them at any second. To her this entire good character Eddward was a charade for his own benefit.

Besides her views on Eddward, she was willing to help Kevin out. From the very start of their high school she was determined to put an end to this chaotic system. Both times she had attempted alone and failed putting her best friend in danger. This time she would try again with Kevin and Ed by her side. Perhaps by the end of this school year it would all be different. She wasn't going to give up so easily and Kevin adored her for it.

They had resumed their after school activities after the first month as they found it safe enough to continue going without getting caught after class. Nazz attended Quiz Bowl and Kevin Robotics. Kevin's robotics club always entered in the First Robotics Competition in the first week of January. Having far more time to spare the club only met once a week and this gave Kevin time to tinker and keep working on his personal defense with Eddward. Nazz, however, was busier as competitions were right around the corner and spend most of her time in the club classroom after school with Ed keeping an eye on her.

While Ed and Nazz spend time together preparing for competitions, Kevin was around Eddward most of those times since the athlete swim season didn't start until a month later. Though, because Eddward had keys they would always hang out in the natatorium. The freckled teen loved watching the other swim laps in the pool as he was supposedly doing homework. It was as if he was watching a free bird sore through the vast open skies. Eddward was powerful and grand in the water. He could hold his breath for various minutes and loved to make the other worry for a moment. He would sink in the pool long enough to get Kevin to place his notebook down and hesitantly step close to the pool scanning the water for a body. Sometimes he would kneel down and yell the others name in worry and suddenly the swimmer would rise up from the water making the other jump in surprise. Those beautiful blue orbs mere inches from him would stare up in playful mischief making him flush. With a smile and an eye roll he would stand up and sit back down on the bleachers to resume working on his homework.

Other times they would leave the school early and have something to eat over at the swimmers place. It was during these times where Kevin found himself with a goofy smiling unable to stop himself from the endearing way the other teen would fall into a routine before sitting down and doing homework. The first thing he would do would be to the ginger teen something to snack on while he waited for Eddward to finish doing some chores around the house. Most of the time, however, Kevin helped the taller teen.

It was during these times where Kevin had the chance to truly observe the other's daily life. The little ginger discovered that Eddward preferred to go grocery shopping on Wednesdays and would most often than not accompany him after school. Kevin had questioned the other about his choice of days and the swimmer simply replied with a shrug saying it was quieter in the store. Eddward had a particular routine throughout the week in which he tried to stay aligned to it most of the time with some exceptions of course.

If Kevin had finished his homework he would at times accompany Eddward to work where he loved chatting with Ms. Adams. She seemed just as pleased as he was about Eddward's more openness with her. The ginger teen would catch the other give her soft smiles and every once in a while bring the woman a small gifts once a week. Kevin raised an eyebrow as he had seen the raven haired teen eye a particular boutique of flowers at a nearby shop before the smaller teen encouraged him to buy them.

At the time he hadn't necessarily questioned the reason why the other had bought them just thought perhaps he had liked them. It was as they walked in to the antique shop that Kevin discovered part of the reason behind the purchase. Ms. Adams had been sitting quietly at the counter looking over some documents when a completely flushed Eddward had approached her and mumbled something under his breath that only the woman could hear. She smile softly looking that the other with absolute tenderness as she stood to hold the flowers with one arm and with the other she wrapped the swimmer in a gentle embrace bringing him close to her. The athlete stood stiffly in her arms for a moment before melting completely in the embrace. The woman planted a kiss on his head and rubbed his cheek thanking him before running to the back to place the flowers in a vase.

Kevin had stood a few feet away simply smiling and unable to tear away from the sight of the exceptionally tender moment between the two. He watched the other take a seat at the counter with still cherry red cheeks trying to keep a serious face though unable to make eye contact with him. It made Kevin giggle, the boy was simply too cute...

He was however a little surprised at the action and asked Ms. Adams about the occasion later in the day while he was helping out in the back. Kevin had thought it was the woman's birthday but she shook her head chuckling "No dear, today marks a year since I met Eddward" she smiled.

Placing down a box the ginger teen lifted his head to look at the woman "Oh" he said straightening up he cleared his throat "Actually, how did you two meet?"

"He hasn't told you?" she asked looking from behind a clipboard. When she saw the freckled boy shake his head she placed the clipboard down and glanced in the direction of where the cloth separated the two rooms. With a gentle smile she walked over to Kevin and took a seat on a wooden crate. "Sometimes I think that fate is real" she began "I had noticed Eddward around town for a couple of months before properly meeting." She grabbed one of Kevin's freckled hands and held it tightly. "He had been a rather interesting kid to me…I could see he was headed down the wrong path with the group of trouble makers he hanged out with. However, his character was unique to the rest of them that it made me question if he truly was a _bad_ kid." She paused frowning "I came to notice how _empty_ his eyes became throughout the time I observed him…I've always wondered what made him like that"

She looked down at their intertwined hands before continuing "My previous employee had recently resigned and one night I was trying to move some of the heavy furniture inside on my own. Then before a particular book shelf nearly crushed me Eddward came to my aid. In the end he stayed with me for most of that night helping me rearrange the shop." She paused once again remembering the moment "Then a week after…" her smile washed away "I was sweeping outside when I saw a liming body from across the street. Immediately I recognize him and rushed over to help him. I had asked what had happened and he simply said it was business…I had an idea of what he meant but he never clarified so, I convinced him to work for me"

Kevin smiled placing his free hand on top on her free hand. He was so grateful that Ms. Adams had been there. He was thankful that she had managed to see something in the teen way before even Kevin had. "Thank you…" he croaked out. Yet, it saddened him that even with the woman's compassion that it simply hadn't been enough to keep the raven haired teen away from the bridge on that terrible afternoon.

Yet again…he could have been the reason Eddward was there that day

…

Kevin had managed to stay away from the malevolent blond this time around. However, after a while it seemed that Sam was now the one doing the hunting because every time Kevin had separated from Nazz he would find Sam waiting for him around the corner. The freckled teen cursed his stupidity because now he had the blonde's attention and didn't know how to get rid of it. Though he took it as a chance on possibly finding some loop hole or anything to help the swimmer.

Sam, as Kevin noticed seemed to be a very touchy person, constantly wrapping an arm around his shoulder almost possessively as he watched either Jimmy or Johnny pass by with a snarl on their faces. Kevin had tried to avoid his coincidences with Sam but it was damn near impossible to hide from the blond when he was clearly looking for him. So the little ginger teen kept it as casual as he could be throughout their encounters.

There was just something absolutely terrifying behind the teen's smile that left Kevin stunned for a good minute after the other had left. It was as if he was in the presence of a vicious tiger ready to attack when Kevin let his guard down. He wasn't sure why he was on good terms with the teen by any means as well. From the looks of it Sam didn't care about anyone and allowed the J's to target whomever they pleased. Had this been because of their conversations? He certainly didn't think that their conversations held any worth to them.

Whatever the reason he thanked whatever divine being ruled over the planet for the grace he and Nazz had received. Two years' worth of constant torment was horrible enough for him Kevin couldn't imagine how relieved his best friend must feel. In any case Kevin tried to make the most of his occurrences with the blond even when his entire being screamed for him to turn around.

As Kevin and Nazz made their way up the stairs heading towards the library he noticed the dark eyed blond turn to walk down and gave Kevin a smirk. "Hey there freckles I was looking for you"

A shiver ran down Kevin's back as he tried to give the other a smile "Hey"

The blond then seemed to notice Nazz standing protectively besides the ginger teen and gave her a wicked grin. "Mind if I steal your prince for second princess?" he winked.

"Don't call me princess" the girl muttered crossing her arms annoyed and shooting the tall blonde a scowl before turning to Kevin and giving him a questioning look.

The freckled teen then smiled reassuringly towards Nazz "Go on ahead I'll meet you in a little bit"

Nazz bit her lip before nodding. She turned towards the other and gave him yet another frown tugging at the strap of her bag.

"Don't worry princess I'll take great care of your boyfriend. I'll certainly have him back before lunch comes to an end capeesh?" Sam moved a loose strain of blonde hair behind the girls ear "Now run along you pretty little thing"

At this Nazz was horribly flushed and angered at the same time. As Kevin seemed to note that it was a very common reaction with the tall blonde. He watched her leaved with an exasperated sigh leaving an anxious Kevin behind.

He tried to breathe steadily as Sam looked behind watching Nazz angrily disappear from sight before slowly turning towards Kevin and giving him a smile "She's a cutie"

…

Nazz huffed angrily "Who the hell does he think he is" she formed fists walking fast. She was so fixated on the tiles on the floor that she hadn't had the time to react when someone grabbed her arm unexpectedly. She yelped as the person pulled her into an empty classroom they had appeared from.

Quickly she shoved her arm away from the person and turned to look at who it was already taking steps towards the door and taking a defensive stance. She immediately recognized the black striped beanie and black leather jacket and groaned irritated. "What the hell do _you_ want?" she spat out.

"What did Sam want?" Eddward impatiently asked.

"Shouldn't you know?" Nazz rolled her eyes beginning to turn away.

Annoyed Eddward grabbed the girls shoulder turning her back around "Just tell me!" he growled annoyed.

"Don't touch me, asshole" Nazz pulled away angrily

"Why didn't you stay with Kevin?"

"Sam told me to leave them alone, what the hell do you want me to do!" The girl yelled angrily

At this Eddward looked beyond completely enraged "I want you to be more aware of your fucking surroundings" he growled.

"If you're really so worried about him then go after him right now!" She barked out harshly gesturing towards the door "Go on! Go and find out for yourself Vincent!"

"I can't!" he yelled out angrily

"I knew it" she rolled her eyes shaking her head letting out an irritated sigh.

With a snarl Eddward yelled out "It's not _that_ you annoying girl"

"Then what is it? Huh?" Nazz crossed her arms glaring at the athlete holding a breath in of pure anger directed towards the teen in front of her.

"If I get caught now I won't be able to keep Kevin and _you_ out of harm's way" Stepping closer to the girl he huffed out "Has it ever occurred to your petty little mind the reason behind the fact that you haven't been targeted by Jimmy and Johnny?" he stared harshly competing with the fixed glare the girl had on him. "Believe it or not Van Bartonschmeer, but I'm trying to protect the both of you"

"HA! I'll believe it when I see it _Vincent_ " Nazz spat his name out bitterly "Do you honestly think because Kevin forgave you that you are suddenly a good person?" she uncrossed her arms and pointed a finger towards him "MY Kevin trusted you! And for a _MOMENT_ I trusted him enough to trust _you_!" she shoved her finger into his chest "and YOU go and turn your back on us…on KEVIN! The only one who has cared enough to forgive your stupid, repulsive, God awful actions!" she shoved her finger harder onto his chest with every word she spat out angrily. "Its mind blowing how he remains to be so latched on to you"

Eddward stood with a scowl looking away yet remained silent taking in the girl's words because he knew she was right. At times Eddward thought to himself how little Kevin had so much faith and patience to deal with his shit. He knew very well from the beginning he wasn't deserving of the teen's empathy.

"I care about him more than anyone else in this world. I love him. His heart is far too big for his own good and I will hold you personally responsible if anything happens to him" she croaked out with angry tears threatening to spill, yet she remained strong.

Eddward broke his intense stare from the wall to look at Nazz with a sigh and a frown "I expect nothing less" was all he could manage out to say to her. Apologizing to her didn't feel right; it didn't feel like it would do her any good except anger her further. How dare he apologize after personally beating her ruthlessly twice? So, he didn't say anything but soaked in her words without denying them.

He watched the blond girl turn and walk out the classroom slamming the door behind her. With sudden anger he kicked at a chair making it tilt and fall on the ground with a hard clash. He took a couple breaths calming down and pulled out his phone. He stared down at the screen with the contact under K for a couple minutes holding it tightly wanting nothing more than to hear Kevin's voice, hear he was alright.

…

Sam had wrapped an arm around Kevin as per usual casually making talk about some exam from one of his senior classes as his other hand waved idly in the air. As terrified as the physical contact was Kevin calmed his anxiety enough to take in his surroundings and observe the taller teen. There had to be a reason why the blonde was now the one seeking him out for useless conversations. He mostly just smiled and nodded hoping the other wouldn't notice his distraction as questions began to pop in his mind.

"Kevin" Sam called out to him giving his shoulder a squeeze.

The ginger teen hummed as a response as he locked eyes with another particular blonde glaring at him across the hall. Jimmy had his arms crossed over his chest giving Kevin a disgusted stare and surely a growl that made Kevin shudder. The fear of his past encounters with the tormentor crawled up his spine with every step closer that they took.

He felt the taller teen lean in close to his ear as they made a turn into a different hallway and away from Jimmy's sight. "Don't worry about them love, they won't hurt you" the blonde chuckled giving a pat to Kevin's shoulder.

"Why do you call me that?" Kevin questioned annoyed and wanting badly to pull away.

"Love?" Sam looked down with a raised eyebrow and huge grin. When he saw Kevin nod he continued to speak "Well, why not?"

"It's just… It's kind of weird" Kevin crossed his arms turning his head to the side with flushed cheeks feeling highly uncomfortable being so close to the other.

"Perhaps" the blonde chuckled "But then again I call every cutie love" he winked down bringing Kevin closer to his side.

"W-what's that supposed to mean?" Kevin lifted his hand and pushed away uncomfortably.

The blond shrugged tilting his head with a smirk "It means what you want it to mean freckles. However, I suggest you take it as a compliment"

Kevin stopped in his tracks taking the opportunity to step further away from the other teen "Ok…Ok stop…What are you doing?"

Sam lifted his arm and placed his hand in his jean pocket raising an eyebrow "What am I doing? Chatting with an old classmate"

"No no no no" Kevin crossed his arms with an annoyed looked "That's not what I mean"

"Then what _do_ you mean?" Sam stepped closer clearing having fun with the game.

Kevin glanced to the side hearing faint talking from the group of people passing by "What do you want from me? Just a while ago I would never find you unless I went out to look specifically for you"

The taller teen leaned in close forcing the freckled teen to back away up against a couple of lockers then stopped mere inches from a wide eyed Kevin. "I should be asking you that particular question freckles…" Sam's dark eyes stared focused on Kevin olive ones. "What do _you_ want from me?"

Kevin held his breath unable to rip away from the cold eyes that stared down at him. It was like being placed back to the days when Eddward would do the exact same thing only Eddward's eyes were simply full of hatred and Sam's…Sam's eyes gave an amused shimmer that left Kevin hesitant on his answer. "I don't want anything…Just leave me alone" he tried his best not to stutter. If there was one thing left for Kevin to do was give any hint that he was afraid of this guy.

With a huge grin Sam backed away just a bit only to bring a hand and ran it through his blonde short locks. His shoulder began to tremble as laughter spilled from his lips and his eyes looked intrigued by the smaller teen under him. "Really now?" he pulled his hand down and reaching to gently tug at Kevin loose sweater. "You seem rather relieved that I've kept you out of Jimmy and Johnny's attention…Now, if I leave you alone, as you wish, then I will have to treat you like any other mindless target in this school and I'm sure you wouldn't want that." He gestured with a hand reaching out and glancing to the side as he saw a small teen quickly run away from them. "I have business to attend to Kevin, important business. And yet you kept looking for me, why? We haven't seen each other in at least 5 years and then again we were only ever classmates." Sam reached for the bill of Kevin's cap and playfully pulled it up "Now…" his hand cupped Kevin's chin and tilted it up meeting his eyes once again. "…Didn't you ever think that your sudden actions would poke my curiosity?"

Kevin knew he had fucked up. He had managed to grab Sam's attention and now it wouldn't be easy to take that away, or rather trying to hide would only grab the blonde's interest further. Yet he knew he had to work with the situation and try to figure something out and take advantage of the fact that he had Sam's attention.

"I'm not going to leave you alone so easily little _minnow_ " Sam voice cut through Kevin train of thought.

The nickname brought shivers down Kevin's spine with a horrible nauseating feeling in his stomach. How did he know the nickname Eddward used to call him? He lifted his hand and held the hand that had cupped his cheek and lowered his eyebrows to a serious stare "I want you to stop this"

"Stop what?" Sam's smile returned as he played once again.

"The gang and everything about it" Kevin let go of the hand and let it drop "I want you to stop it and leave everyone alone."

Sam leaned back and looked down at Kevin with a curious look "Why would I stop being the most powerful man in this town?"

"Why do you want to be the most powerful?" Kevin stood his ground trying to seem more confident and serious than he felt. He could feel his heart rate pick up speed of anxiety from the intense look Sam was giving him. "What could you possibly gain from torturing kids and doing who knows what else?"

"Well, perhaps I'll take you on a tour one day and give you a taste of what it's like to be in my shoes" the teen winked down "Just asks Jimmy, Johnny… and especially Eddward. They all joined for a reason love. We rule this town and soon we'll kick out our rivals over in Lemon Brook too. Imagine the amount of status we'll gain from conquering? The amount of profit from it?" Sam leaned down and hooked and lifted Kevin sweater only to hook a finger in through his belt loops and pull the smaller teen closer. "In the midst of war…where do you envision yourself, on the losing side or the winning side?"

Kevin's stare remained forward and as he was about to speak they heard his phone go off in his jeans pocket. He managed to push the blonde away to quickly look at the person who was calling expecting it to be Nazz. The ginger gulped as he saw the letter E stand bright on his screen.

"Your girlfriend?" Sam asked leaning in close to see.

Quickly Kevin ignored the call stopping his phone from continuing to ring and pulled the phone to his chest hiding the screen from sight "Y-Yeah"

"Well then I won't keep you any longer" Sam gestured with a hand out releasing Kevin.

Kevin nodded and turned around to head back to the library where Nazz was surely anxiously waiting for him. "Kevin" the freckled teen turned around hearing his name called out by the blonde. "I hope to you'll let me show you what it is like on my side"

The dark eyes made it hard to breathe. Kevin didn't respond and did do anything except continued to walk away letting his mind go blank to calm his anxiety. As he rushed up the stairs he sent a text to Eddward who Kevin assumed wasn't so happy.

…

Kevin and Eddward's fifth period class was certainly an awkward one. As Kevin kept trying to figure out what the hell Sam wanted him from him without exposing his thoughts to the athlete sitting next to him. Eddward kept glaring at the ginger boy though made no attempt to talk to him until the end of class when he stood and walked toward Kevin with crossed arms. "After sixth we're talking"

"…Ok" Kevin looked at Eddward a bit deflated knowing he was going to hear the other's angry complaints this time for sure.

The ginger stood watching the other leave with a saddened frown on his lips. It wasn't necessarily his fault that Sam kept showing up everywhere…ok maybe yeah. With a frustrated huff he packed his things before making an exit and disappearing into the crowded hallways.

He sighed in relief that he had photography last as he was able to simply relax and let his mind wonder as he edited random photos. Biting his lip as he recalled back the conversation he had had with the tall blonde frowning as he remembered his words. It all seems from some weird crime movie or something. Was Eddward actually involved with this kind of stuff and just how involved was he? Kevin remembered to the previous year when he had questioned Eddward's power source, and now questioned if it had gotten worse this year? By this he meant if Eddward had gain possibly more? It was clear as day that before summer break began Eddward was not ready to give that up sacrificing his companionship with Kevin over his rule. Though Kevin knew Eddward had more at stake than just power.

There was something Eddward wasn't telling him and that as what the black mail was. Obviously something enough to keep Eddward from betraying Sam, but what was the reason Eddward even joined? Had he joined willingly or because of the black mail? Kevin leaned back in his chair and rubbing his hands on his jeans as he pretended to intensely observe the picture. What had Sam mean by conquering the towns? It scared him to think how dangerous this situation could get. Gangs, depending on their size and status typically involved themselves in violent activity and illegal affairs. Kevin wanted to hope it was simply things like vandalism and what not but by the way the tall blonde spoke…it was something much bigger.

Five minutes before the class Kevin received a message from Eddward telling him to meet him in the back parking lot closets to the football field. He'd figure he would mention the conversation to the raven haired teen and hope that perhaps Eddward could provide him with more insight.

The ginger teen pulled out his USB and logged off the computer starting to pack his things as kids around him did as well.

Once he heard the bell ring he rushed off making sure not to bump into anyone unexpectedly. He exited through the back noticing some students leaving campus. The back parking lot seemed a lot more filled up than the rest though he supposed it was harder to spot him with the raven haired teen. He looked around for Eddward or his car as he made his way through the parking lot. After a couple of minutes of searching he found Eddward leaning against his car distracted by something in the opposite direction. With raised eyebrows Kevin hurried over to the other "What's wrong?" he asked.

Surprised Eddward slightly jumped turning to look down at Kevin "Huh?"

"You looked preoccupied, is something wrong?" the freckled teen asked again worried as he saw the wide eyes the other displayed.

"It's nothing" the raven haired teen cleared his throat and straightened his posture "Get inside" he gently pushed the smaller teen to the passenger side. He opened the door waiting for Kevin to get inside not making eye contact with the ginger before closing it and looking behind to see if anyone as watching them.

He then walked to the other side of the car getting in. Eddward leaned back in his seat rubbing a hand to his face and running them through his hair with an exhausted sigh. "Are you ok?" Kevin asked with a frown turning to look closely at the athlete.

"…I'm fine" he lied. In truth, for the past couple of weeks it seemed that his nightmares were progressively getting worse. It was frustrating an exhausting having to pull all-nighters because he was afraid that he might dream. His most recent dream consisted of dark figured hands crawling through the cracked ground of the lamp lit room. The voices seemed to grow louder the more the ground cracked and before he knew it the hands had wrapped around him leaving bloody cuts all over his body. _How do you like it?_ The voices would taunt him. It was nearly impossible to wake himself up anymore. The only way he would be able to wake up was killing himself in the dream. It was only then that he would wake up gasping for air and covered in sweat utterly terrified of his dark, lonesome surroundings. Kevin did not need to know this of course.

"You look really pale Eddward" the little ginger teen reached forward to place a freckled hand on the other's cheek frowning when he saw that the swimmer was very cold and trembled at his touch.

"It's alright Kevin…I just— " he paused clearly annoyed as he pulled the small hand away and held it tightly "what the hell are you doing still hanging around Sam?"

Kevin looked at him with wide eyes turning further to face the other "I'm not!"

"I saw you go with him during lunch break" the raven haired teen accused not pleased at all with Kevin's lie.

"Ok, I'm trying to avoid him but like now he's the one looking for me!" Kevin yelped "He's being really weird and I don't know what to do about it"

"How so?" the raven haired teen raised an eyebrow curiously

"H-He…" Kevin began looking to the side and pulling his hand away instead now placing it behind his neck "I don't know"

Eddward frowned further patiently waiting though he gave the other an intimidating looking for further explanation. Which seemed to work as Kevin seemed to crack with every second of silence that passed by them. "Ok, first off he's uh being really t-touchy? And clingy…?"

Eddward stared at Kevin for a long moment "…Excuse me?" Eddward was surprised as he was expecting a completely different answer.

"I-I don't know, but like touchy touchy?" Kevin said awkwardly "He likes to wrap an arm around my shoulder and is like always in my personal space…? If that makes sense" he adds with a flush scratching the lower part of his neck. "It's super awkward actually"

"What did you do?"

Kevin looked up surprised "nothing!" he gasped out "I didn't do anything! We just talked"

"About?" Eddward frowned

"Stupid school stuff, it wasn't anything important" Kevin leaned back in his seat "I think he's just messing with me and it's annoying"

"Alright…" Eddward sighed out with a scowl "Second?"

"Oh um" the ginger leaned back in his seat looking out the window as he heard a faint rumble of another students car. He pouted thinking back once again on the conversation "What made you join the gang in the first place?" he asked remembering Sam as told him to ask one of the three. "Was it for power?"

Taken aback Eddward looked down at Kevin "Why do you ask?"

"I…I just want to know" Kevin looked up to the other before looking down "Sam said something today and it made me curious…about you"

"What did he say?"

"Does it matter?" Kevin argued a bit annoyed Eddward wasn't spilling.

"Yes it does Kevin" Eddward stated firmly more annoyed with Kevin's sudden behavior.

Kevin frowned looking away "He told me to ask…Obviously Sam doesn't know I _can_ actually just ask" the ginger teen faced the swimmer keeping his serious face "So why did you join? I'm sure you can at least tell me that"

Eddward had his lips pressed together hesitant to tell the other. "Remember Blaine?" he asked in a low voice turning to look forward where the football field was in full view.

"yeah" Kevin quietly replied dropping his frown.

"He…He and Sam were friends. I met Sam at Blaine's funeral and after breaking it off with Ed and…Eddy" he muttered the last name with disgust. "Sam was there for me…I joined willingly seeking somewhere to… belong…somewhere I was of worth"

Kevin frowned now of sadness. He reached forward taking the olive skinned hand in a grip. "I hope I've made it clear you're worth a hell of a lot…" he gave the other a small smirk.

Eddward flushed at the other's words and looked down at the freckled hand on top of his own. As he was about to intertwine their fingers a loud ringing in his pocket cut through the comfortable silence of his car. Clearing his throat he took his phone out and answered "Ed?" Eddward could hear the other groan in a painful voice and instantly straightened up alarmed catching the attention of the ginger teen.

Kevin retrieved his hand and leaned forward worried at the sudden serious face the swimmer displayed holding his breath. He waited impatiently as he saw Eddward looking around at the field panicked. "We'll be right there Ed, just hold on" Eddward quickly hanged up and ushered Kevin to get out and follow along.

"What's wrong?" Kevin exclaimed following Eddward out of the car in a rush.

"Ed needs us" Was all Eddward replied as he rapidly tried to find the spot in the field that Ed had instructed him "He's hiding somewhere here"

"What?" Kevin looked around trying to find any signs of the burette boy "What happened?"

"Am not sure but I believe it was Sam's doing" The raven haired teen suddenly stopped as they reached behind the opposite side of the field to the bleachers going silent as he heard wheezing close by. "Ed!" he called out turning to run behind the bleachers with Kevin right behind.

They found Ed hunched over on the ground a complete mess. He had bruises and bleeding scratched all over his arms and on his cheek. His nose was full of dried blood and his right cheek was swollen. In a heartbeat Kevin had ran to the brunette's side with wide eyes. Eddward looked him over with concerned eyes "What happened!" Both teens asked in worry.

"I…I don't know" Ed closed his eyes tired "Johnny…c-came out of nowhere and just dragged me out h-here…" he breathed in.

"What the hell?" Kevin whispered cradling the boy's head "Ed we need to get you out of here, your cuts are going to get infected if we don't clean them"

The brunette simply nodded slowly leaning into the ginger's embrace. Kevin looked up at Eddward who seemed to be going through a series of emotions. Kevin could definitely distinguish anger…

Once the raven haired teen leaned down and pulled one of Ed's arms over his shoulder Kevin did the same and quickly made their way across the field towards Eddward's car. Thankfully there were no longer any more students lingering around in the parking lot and were able to make it across unseen. Eddward opened the passenger seat of his car and helped Ed inside before turning to Kevin and telling him to get in too.

Kevin stopped looking up at Eddward "I can't go"

Eddward turned to look at Kevin with a confused look it made Kevin elaborate further "Nazz is still in school, I can't leave her alone"

"Kevin I'm not going to let you go back inside after what happened to Ed" Eddward argued.

"I'll be fine don't worry about me"

"Kevin…"

"I can somewhat handle myself now thanks to you"

"…" Eddward continued to stare down unsure and extremely tense about leaving the ginger teen behind and alone.

"I promise I'll be alright, now go" Kevin lightly pushed with a small smile "Ed needs you"

"A-alright…call me if anything happens and I'll come as fast as possible" Eddward bit his lip though didn't wait for Kevin's response turning to get into his car.

Kevin felt a bubbly sensation at the swimmer's words and smiled watching them leave the lot. As soon as the car was out of sight the school's silence suddenly became something intensely eerie. Kevin turned back around glancing around the classroom's still in session wondering if Sam had ordered Johnny to ambush Ed. Was this his fault? Was Sam proving his power?

…

* * *

 ** _Ho ho ho I wonder what is happening..._**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought!_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	43. Chapter 43

**_And we continue..._**

* * *

There were a handful of students roaming the hallways of the school yet Kevin couldn't get the feeling that someone was watching him. No, it definitely felt like many eyes were one him…as if there were cameras around the hallways that pierced into his mind and gave away his paranoid thoughts. Whatever it was it gave him the creeps.

The little ginger tried his best not to give in to his paranoia and focus on heading over to Nazz's seventh-period class to wait for her. He gripped the strap of his bag a little tighter as he quickened his pace down the hall and up to the second floor. Instead, he focused on the emotion of anger for what had happened to Ed. Was this part of Johnny's random urge to beat someone up or was this ordered by Sam? If so, then for what purpose?

Kevin supposed that if Sam wanted him on his side, god knows why he would want that, he wouldn't do anything to his friends. So perhaps Johnny was just out of control and wanted to blow off some steam…though it definitely was a terrible way to do it. It seemed that Sam liked him, well, liked him enough to be slightly friendly with him. Maybe Kevin could use that to his advantage and ask Sam to leave his friends alone. But would that come with any consequences? Would Sam ask something of him in return?

With a huff, he shoved his hands in his jean pockets and stood quietly close to the wall across from Nazz's classroom waiting patiently. Kicking at a small gum wrapper on the dirty tiles of the school floor he tried to resist his urge of wanting to message Eddward to find out how Ed was doing. He tightened his hold on his phone closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in hoping everything would turn out ok in the end. It was only the beginning of the school year.

A couple of minutes into his waiting he had leaned back on the wall stare directed down toward the crumbled wrapper peeking underneath his shoe. There were still a good 10 minutes before the bell rang and by each passing second Kevin became more impatient. Something was going on and it scared the shit out of him.

Almost as if it were on cue a handful of wide-eyed students rapidly walked down the hall as if trying to run away from something…or someone. Two of them were whispering among themselves occasionally looking back with guilt while another tried to hush them. Kevin leaned forward and listened carefully to the girls who continued to whisper to each other.

"…believe she's so stupid to try that!"

"She should have known better"

"SH!" they awkwardly looked in Kevin's direction before shutting up completely and turning to look down at the floor and speeding up.

There had been a victim…he would be lying if for a moment he thought there was a possibility that the victim was Nazz again, and in that moment he felt his heart race so fast it had stopped. But she knew better than to try again alone…he _knew_ that she was better than that.

So he relaxed watching the students disappear turning a corner. His calmed state didn't last long, as other worries began to trouble his mind. Now Kevin questioned if Eddward knew about this. Both of them had been at the parking lot when it most likely happened, but the athlete had seemed strange and unfocused when Kevin had arrived. His frown deepened at the thought of Eddward knowing exactly what terrible things were going on around the school and not doing anything about it.

This couldn't go on forever… he has said it time and time again. Though, Kevin knew that the raven haired teen had something to lose if he rebelled and he couldn't help but wonder if it was worth the safety of all the innocent people. Kevin like to think whatever the reason was, it was big enough to justify Eddward's lack of action.

At least he hoped so…

…

The white home was enveloped in complete silence as Eddward worked on cleaning a particularly nasty scratch on Ed's elbow. The taller brunette sat on the toilet seat with a scowl looking down harshly at the floor while Eddward stood next to him. The raven haired frowned hating the expression the other teen displayed; the anger in his eyes really didn't match his normally bubbly personality.

He had sent a message to Kevin letting him know not to worry about Ed and asked if everything was alright at school. The ginger had thankfully replied instantly and let him know that he and Nazz were making their way to his home. The news relaxed the raven haired teen tremendously knowing the freckled teen was out of harm's way.

"You must have provoked Johnny somehow if he harmed you this harshly" the swimmer mumbled breaking the silence rubbing alcohol onto the wound to clean out the remaining dirt. "What did you do?"

Turning his face to the side his frown deepening "I can't understand how you can stand there and do nothing…"

Eddward paused his work and stared deeply at the cut pressing his lips together "I don't know what you mean"

The brunette shoved his arm away from the swimmer "You know what happened Double D…"

Letting out a breath Eddward bent down to be eye level with Ed but did not look him in the eyes "I heard some sophomore wanted to tattle tell…I'm assuming you intervened?"

Ed looked down at the blue eyed teen "I can't be a bystander Double D…I can't do what you do"

"You need to understand that you can't aggravate Sam, Ed" Eddward stared back "I need you to help me look after Kevin and Nazz"

"But it isn't JUST about them Double D! It's about everyone!" Ed stood up enraged making Eddward look up in surprise at the sudden outburst from the usual calm teen. "She was innocent D!"

"If she had known her place she would have avoided her misfortune" The athlete muttered out.

Ed's lips parted as he looked down at the raven haired teen "I can't believe this…Seriously?"

Eddward looked up now meeting the other bewildered eyes "…"

"You're _still_ thinking like _them_ " Ed sat back down on the seat staring down at the floor.

The swimmer felt a rush of guilt drown him hearing the disappointment in the other's voice and wondered what it would have felt like to hear that same disappointment come out of Kevin's lips. Would it have hurt the same or worse?

"What would you have done if the victim today had been Kevin hm?" Ed asked looking up to look at the wall. "What if it had been Nazz or me?" Ed turned his head to meet the other eyes with a serious look. "You say that you would come running to help us if anything were to happen, but why don't I believe you Double D?"

The boy's words sink deeply into the raven haired teen, what would his immediate reaction be if the victim had been one of the three? "Ed, you know I would" he settled on the response he hoped would be true.

"You're lying" Ed mumbled out

"I'm not!"

The taller teen gave him a sad smile "But you're unsure"

"…"

…

Hours later, after the brunette had taken his leave, the raven haired teen laid contemplating on the cold sheets of his bed staring fixedly at the ceiling. Every bump on the wall made him tilt his head and frown thinking how rough the texture of the wall was. He remembered having to place sticky notes on the rough wall and would cringe at how imperfect the smooth flat sticky notes would become. There wasn't anything he could do to change the texture, and it was the one thing his OCD would allow him to ignore because placing the sticky notes on the damn wall was the best form of communication he had with his parents.

It had been the only thing that was allowed to be imperfect in this house.

And he envied it

Eddward turned to his side his eyes sight landing on the full body mirror across the room catching sight of his slumped body. It was a pathetic sight and he decided to close his eyes instead sinking into a bottomless pit of darkness in his mind. It was now that his thoughts and the voices began to crawl into his conscious mind. Ever so slowly rising in volume they pounded into the walls of his mind causing a lot of unwanted noise.

Then he was back in the room illuminated by the single lamp at the center of the room with the puddle of water underneath it. The wooden walls slowly taking form as he looked around the area. In mere seconds he was sealed inside the room with the only sound of water dripping from the ceiling.

He stood still a moment waiting for the voices to come in hushed whispers through the openings of the wooden walls. However, they did not come immediately which was unusual in this dream. The room was completely silent with only the water drops falling to the beat of a ticking clock. The irregular silence brought an unnerving feeling towards the raven haired teen as he walked around the room steadily. He ran his fingers along the wood as his eyes scanned the area looking for something that was out of place, yet he found nothing.

It was until Eddward finally made his way around the room that he felt a particular loose area of one of the walls. As he pushed into the wall he watched as the loose section formed into a door slightly opening itself into pitch black. He stepped forward only looking back for a second with hesitation before opening the door wide.

As he leaned further through the door he finally heard them lightly laughing clearer than he had ever heard them yet it was as if the voices were at a distance. Eddward did not step out into the darkness for fear of the dark figured hands that had been haunting his most recent dreams. He didn't plan on going any further until he heard a familiar sweet voice in the distance of the darkness.

Kevin's voice was calling out to him though he could barely hear his words. Eddward was hesitant knowing this was all a dream and whoever was calling out was not in fact Kevin. However, the voice was becoming more unsteady with a fear which caused a swirl of anxiety to encompass the swimmer as he stared into nothingness.

Then he heard Kevin's voice so clearly calling his name, begging for help and it brought him back to the day he had left the freckled teen vulnerable and alone in the clutches of Jimmy and Johnny. The image so fresh in his mind the scene started to fade into the darkness and played right in front of him. Eddward saw a terribly beaten up Kevin being held up by Johnny and Jimmy screaming at him words he could not comprehend as he gestured towards Kevin with anger. The two boy's words were slurred and mixed together into a static gibberish that freaked the raven haired teen out, though Kevin's pleas were loud and clear.

Eddward stood still at the edge of the door gripping the handle with an extreme force as he watched the scene. Kevin's screams seemed far too real, but he knew this was all a trap to lure him into the darkness. It pained him to watch the scene and stare right into the freckle teen usually vibrant green eyes now dimmed with sorrow.

The voices started getting louder now as Kevin screams did as well, they laughed horribly as they changed coward. Eddward couldn't find the strength to look away to turn around and lock the door for he feared he would be doing the exact same as betraying Kevin once again. It wasn't until out of nowhere Jimmy had pulled out a blade and was screaming something at him that Eddward finally ripped his stare away from Kevin.

Jimmy and Johnny's eyes had turned completely black and now only yelled one word clearly just as the voices surrounding the darkness. They were all yelling coward except Kevin who was only becoming more unstable as the seconds passed. Then he saw Jimmy become frustrated and turned to charge at Kevin. It was then that Eddward instinctively ran out into the darkness wanting to take the blade away from Jimmy.

He had yelled out, but before the blade made contact with Kevin's stomach the dark figured hands reached out to grab Eddward by the ankles tripping him. When he looked up in desperation all he saw was Kevin's sweater completely stained in blood and his body going limp in Johnny's hold. The sight before him was far more excruciatingly painful than the wounds the hands were leaving as they pulled him down sinking him into the darkness.

Jimmy then walked towards him slowly and dropped the bloody blade in front of him as Eddward tried his best to release himself from the grip of the hands. He knew there was only one way out of this horrid dream and he looked up towards Jimmy who looked down with black beetle eyes and a deformed smile. He felt tears fill his eyes as he saw Kevin lifeless body in the distance slowing fading out. When the body had completely disappeared Eddward reached for the blade and stared down at it leaving drops of tears mixing with the blood. He lifted the blade and stretched his other arm out in front.

The last thing he heard before he sliced at his arm was the fainted laughter of the voice and Jimmy repeating the damned word.

Eddward jolted awake gasping for air feeling pain all over his body and chest. He rapidly sat up grabbing at his shirt now drenched in sweat feeling at a loss of air in his lungs. He coughed and tried desperately to breath in as much air as he could but nothing was seemed to be working. So he quickly stood up and opened his window and leaned out catching the light breeze of wind. He closed his eyes tightly feeling dizzy watching the leaves dance around with the wind. However, this only amplified the left over feeling of the dream and the darkness of his eyesight only made the voices echo more clearly. He knew it had all been a nightmare, but this by far had been the most traumatizing one he has had. Remembering Kevin's screams and limp body brought a nauseating feeling forcing him to run towards the bathroom and regurgitate what little contents he had in his stomach.

He had flushed it away and sat down on the floor leaning against the wall closing his eyes once again. Eddward took deep breaths in and exhales out attempting to calm himself as he slumped down. He tried to recall the happy bubbly feeling he got every time he noticed Kevin quietly watching him as he swam laps in the pool. The memory of a smiling Kevin was the only thing he knew would ground him because the memory was real, Kevin was real and alive and perfectly happy.

As he opened his eyes he felt tears begin to spill down his cheeks and felt an appalling grief grip his chest tightly as he silently begged whatever divine existence to keep that beautiful smile on Kevin lips. Tilting his head back he looked up to the ceiling and let his tears run down finding it helped to calm him down. The cool floor chilled his skin and kept him fully awake once his eyes had dried and nothing but an empty feeling was left.

That afternoon he had called Ms. Adams letting her know he would not show up to work with the excuse that he was ill. Being the gracious woman she was, Ms. Adams did not question him and simply told him to rest up and drink medicine and told him to take the next day off as well to which he was grateful knowing had he shown up to work she would have easily figured something was wrong. Ms. Adams was a very observant woman and although he appreciated that aspect as it made communication with her easier, he did not want to involve her in anything unnecessary.

The athlete resisted the urge to call Kevin that evening as well knowing that the second he heard his voice he might break down once again. He wanted to hear the small teen and just know he was fine, but he didn't want to alarm him. So that evening, he spent it laying on his bed staring off at nothing begging that he won't make the same mistake of turning his back on Kevin once again if and when the times comes. Both Nazz's and Ed's words swirling around in his mind as he watched the lighting on his room change from oranges to dark blue. It was then that he stood up and pulled the curtains to the side letting the moons light brighten his room.

Placing his hands in his pockets he leaned on the window staring out onto the quiet street. He breathed in quietly feeling relaxed enough to contemplate the issue at hand. He would have once again had to rise up to be Sam's loyal knight if he was going to gain his trust, though he hoped having this role again wouldn't jeopardize his bond with the smaller teen. Eddward was going to try his damn best to keep Kevin as far away as possible.

…

There has stirred something in Eddward the night from the nightmare. He needed to do something immediately and he needed to distract Sam's attention from the freckled teen. It had been very peculiar to him how Kevin had managed to easily catch the other's attention, and it made him question what that exact interest Sam had was?

The various possibilities to this question were sometimes alarming and sometimes confusing. However, after a couple of days of observing he realized Sam had an uncanny fascination towards the freckled teen and Nazz. On some instances he found Sam leaning quite close to the blonde girl and Eddward would roll his eyes stepping in pretending to need to speak with Sam and harshly shove Nazz away giving her a warning glare. What truly alarmed him though was the fact that he could never find Sam and Kevin, and would not know about their encounters until the smaller teen would tell him about it. It was highly irritating knowing that Sam would give him small tasks to do precisely during this time. Eddward knew Sam did it on purpose, and it only highly worried him about Kevin's safety during this time.

It was upsetting at times because as Kevin was telling him about his encounter with Sam, Eddward could tell that the little teen was holding back some information from him. He knew first hand how easily Sam could manipulate a person, he just hoped Kevin as a little stronger than that. Nonetheless, he needed to finally start putting into effect Ed's plan of him taking over after Sam. He knew he needed to convince the blonde of his true loyalty and commitment which was why he was currently seeking Sam outside of school.

The blonde was idly chatting with Jimmy as they over looked the basketball court at the east side of Peach Creek, while Johnny sat on the ground playing with a pebble with Plank. Eddward noticed Johnny look up with curiosity as he looked up noticing him approach and stood up alerting the blonde. When Jimmy looked back the swimmer felt rage brew in the pit of his stomach and he let out a small growl no one but Sam heard as he chuckled out with an amused grin.

"Eddward!" Sam happily called out stepping forward to meet the raven haired teen half way "What brings you here my dear friend? I didn't call for you"

"I'm aware" Eddward glanced to the J's who were both very curiously trying to listen in. "I'm here to speak with you" he looked back to Sam.

The teen let out a small laugh "Why am I not surprised"

"Perhaps you should be" Eddward crossed his arms giving the other a serious and firm stare.

Raising an eyebrow Sam tilted his head "Care to tell me why?"

"I've decided to take you up on your offer from a year ago if you recall"

"Of course I do!" Sam chimed with glee "Though I must ask why now? If I remember correctly you completely rejected my offer"

"Boredom?" Eddward suggested shrugging keeping a straight face on.

The blonde gave a small chuckle stepping closer to Eddward and placing a hand to the side of the athlete's face with a firm grip. "I'm going to need you to give me a clearer answer another time" he spoke softly then leaned back breathing in with a smile and dropping his hand. "Well, Eddward I'm _very_ pleased with your decision and eager to see you in action once again"

Eddward stood still watching as an idea formed through Sam's head as he looked back at the basketball court where some kids were playing and looked back. "You know, I was going to have these boys take care of problem with the guys over there dressed in black." Sam scratched a small amount of stubble he had on his chin "You see they owe me money…" his mischievous dark eyes met with Eddward's. "Mind taking care of it instead?"

Eddward had known Sam was bound to make him do something like this, which was why he had come mentally prepared for a fight once again. "Gladly"

Once again Sam stepped closer and now held onto his shoulders tightly with a wicked grin "Don't screw it up" he whispered before giving him a pat on the shoulder and sending him to the field.

Putting on the mask he once wore Eddward stood with the strength that _Eddward Vincent_ once possessed, the strength that ensued fear and intimation by everyone that knew his name. He had seen Jimmy and Johnny smiling with excitement as he passed by watching him with wonder. Yeah, he was going to make them fear him once again, he was going to be Sam's knight once again, and he was going to end this as soon as possible.

" _What would you have done if the victim today had been Kevin hm?_ _What if it had been Nazz or me?"_

Ed's word's played in his head and as he approached the group he swore he wasn't going to turn his back on them. He was going to do this for Kevin, he was going to do this for Ed…

 _"Do you honestly think because Kevin forgave you that you are suddenly a good person? MY Kevin trusted you! And for a MOMENT I trusted him enough to trust you! and YOU go and turn your back on us…on KEVIN! The only one who has cared enough to forgive your stupid, repulsive, God awful actions!"_

And he was going to do this even for that infuriating girl Kevin loved so much. He was going to show that petty princess she was wrong and that Kevin was right in trusting him again. Perhaps she was right in that he wasn't a good person, because he someone called him good he would most likely laugh. Not after this, not after all he has done and was about to do. Kevin was good…Kevin was…so good. May God bring mercy to whoever dared to hurt the small freckled teen because he was going to make it his personal mission to bring hell to them.

Eddward approached one of the guys in a black shirt harshly shoving them backwards catching them off guard and landed a punch to his face. Immediately a wave of the guys companions charged in to attack him but Eddward was skillful enough to take them on. Some of them tried to attack from behind while other's grabbed his attention from the front. It was a good few minutes of Eddward struggling to untangle them from his legs as he threw punches at others.

He could hear Jimmy and Johnny cheering with excitement for a moment before Sam released them and they came running to join in.

The rest of the fight was a blur as his mindset was set to finishing the fight quickly and his eyesight darkened.

…

* * *

 _ **I barely did any edit on this so hopefully the writing isn't too bad :P**_

 _ **Also, you have no idea how many times I had to rewrite this chapter lol the solution? Change the perspective to Eddward's lol**_

 _ **Writing in Edd's POV is always fun and heart aching for me but I love it, hope you did too**_

 ** _Let me know what you thought! & Sorry it was a short one_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	44. Chapter 44

_**I'M BACK**_

 _ **Holy Heck! I'm so so sorry for the extremely long break, but Uni work was killer this spring quarter. However, I am finally back and hopefully, I can keep a weekly update schedule this summer. Really looking forward to write everything that is to come for this story 3 ALSO if you follow my Tumblr I did promise 2 big chaps But alas I only have one finished at the moment, but I'll post the next tomorrow around the same time again haha oops.**_

 _ **ANYWAYS, here is chapter 44 and I hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

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The brittle cold weather was coming in close as most of the leaves had fully changed color leaving the streets of Peach Creek to be enveloped in a variety of warm colors. The air had gotten heavier along with the rainy season settling in. Almost daily the rain poured down on the quite town, though Eddward didn't mind all that much. He found that the coolness of the rain helped to settle down his burning hot skin after a fight. The bruises and wounds stung from the impact and over exerting his body during conflict. The rain provided a welcoming contrast to the physical pain he was feeling.

He laid on his couch in the living room transfixed with the rain drops sliding down the window at varying speeds. The house was only getting colder with the change in temperature which only made the enveloping silence of his home even more asphyxiating. The velvet blanket that covered his lower half of his body provided no comfort in calming the raven haired teen's thoughts. He had been thinking a lot lately, though only in times like these when he was alone and not occupied with everything that had been happening.

Fear crept into his thoughts sometimes when he thought too deeply about the consequences of his actions. He _knew_ Kevin would be upset; the question however, was how upset would he be? He didn't like to think about the disappointed expression the little ginger would show at the discovery of what he was up to. Even though Eddward's intentions where good he knew that the way he was doing things may not be the most appealing. He didn't have any other choice, because if he didn't do anything he knew Kevin would be the one to act.

Perhaps a year ago the little ginger would have been too scared to try anything, but not this time. He knew something had changed the freckled teen over the summer, perhaps his betrayal or perhaps the teen's incident…perhaps it was all of it, but Kevin had built up strength and courage. He had seen it first hand over the many months they had been together. It made him proud, but truthfully Kevin's new found bravery terrified him as well.

It made him question what Kevin was capable of, and what were to happen if Kevin did decide to take things into his own hands. What would happen if Sam manipulated Kevin? Why else would the blond be hanging around the little teen? Eddward was certain Sam was up to no good, and whatever was happening was not out of simple playfulness but of some bigger plan.

It had become difficult to keep tract of Sam over the past couple of weeks as competitions were right around the corner. His swim team had been meeting frequently to practice and get back into the usual routine. After school time required most of his attention, between his captain duties and playing Sam's obedient dog right after. This meant for chances for Sam to snatch Kevin away without his knowledge.

There were many other question and worries running through his head as he fell asleep that night with the sting of wounds faint but present.

…

Kevin walked to school early in the morning looking up at the gray sky that threatened to collapse rain any second. He had brought an umbrella, and was wearing a black rain jacket so he wouldn't mind too much if the rain did decided to come down. The school months had passed rather quickly to him, maybe it was the fact that robotics had already started up again and he had preoccupied with their first competition in two months. They didn't meet much as his team was only starting with the basic planning stage, but nonetheless it was a welcomed distraction now that Eddward was busy as well.

He frowned at the thought of having spent so little time with the athlete. It was weird honestly; Kevin had been so used to lingering around the raven haired teen practically all day that now it felt awful lonesome without the company of the other. In recent weeks Eddward had slowly began to enclose himself in his busy life leaving Kevin behind. Of course he didn't mind all that much, for Kevin knew perfectly well that Eddward had many duties to attend to. Though he wished he would be able to spend just a little more time with him. Which was why the little ginger made most of their time together, cherishing the teen's relaxed expression during these moments and getting a laugh from him as well.

Sam had been in an inconsistent set of activities and behaviors that confused Kevin. He really tried to make sense of the guy and questioned why he continued to linger around him and Nazz. At some point Kevin began to suspect Sam's intentions with his best friend and he had caught the blond teen making flirty expressions, however it didn't alarm him too much since Sam acted in a similar manner towards him as well.

The tall blonde had not mentioned anything since the conversation about Sam wanting to show Kevin his side of things. The little ginger suspected that the other was waiting for Kevin to willingly give in, yet it only confused him further as to why Sam wanted him?

He tried to ignore the thought… So long as Sam was happy he and Nazz were safe.

The school seemed awfully gloomy that day as Kevin entered the front doors. The rain had started to pour down minutes before he had arrived leaving him in a cool sensation. He took off his hood heading towards his locker watching as some students buzzed around the nearly empty hallways. His footsteps echoed throughout the halls as he walked almost blissfully, finally getting into the habit of having no danger disturb him.

Nazz wouldn't get to school until later in the day since he had a doctor's appointment, so for the moment Kevin had absolutely nothing to worry about that morning. The J's would get to school at the last possibly second before school began and Ed and Eddward were off doing who knows what.

Supposed that it upset him being unable to know what Ed and Eddward were up to. Kevin knew that they were planning something, but for some reason they wouldn't let him in on it. They had said it would be better for him and Nazz to be ignorant, that the less they knew the better… Well, Kevin wasn't having any of it and with a pouty face he crossed his arms. He didn't like being the damsel in distress, he wanted to apart of whatever the Ed's had been scheming. Yet, he did not back down and every once in a while tried to convince Eddward.

Nazz, on the other hand, was probably more annoyed than him about it, still completely untrusting of Eddward. The two would continue to glare at each other from across the room and refused to interact whenever they were in the same space. Both mumble insults towards the other when they thought the other wasn't paying attention. Their banter made Kevin laugh but he truly did wish for them to get along one day. Though that thought he knew would take a big miracle, so he let them be.

"Good Morning freckles"

Kevin jumped at the sudden voice behind him, gripping the open locker a little tightly as he felt the strap of his backpack slid off his shoulder. Kevin peeked over his shoulder to see the familiar tall blonde standing a little too close behind him. "H-Hey Sam, morning" he offered the other a tilted smile.

"What brings you here so early?" Sam asked not backing away as he watched Kevin close his locker and turn towards him very stiffly.

Shrugging Kevin looked around the lonesome hall letting out a small breathe "Nothing really, I'm just used to coming early"

At this response something seemed to shine in the teen's dark eyes "Perfect" Sam grabbed Kevin by the shoulder and pulled him close tucked under his shoulder "how about we take a detour?"

"Detour? To where?" Kevin yelped feeling his feet drag along the floor. He made a grab for Sam's jacket to steady himself as the taller teen pulled them around a corner and back to the main entrance of the school.

"You'll see" the blonde smiled winking at some girl who had just arrived.

Kevin tried to push himself away from the blonde or at least halt their walk out of the front doors but the other had a strong on him. He did, however, manage to slow down Sam's quick pace to which he turned with a raised brow. Kevin frowned "hold on a damn second! I'm not going anywhere with you if you don't tell me where you're taking me"

Releasing Kevin from his prison Sam chuckled "I like that you're so feisty" the blonde chuckled out continuing to walk down the entrance stairs and when he got to the bottom he paused then turned to look up at the other who was watching him cautiously. "The world's a wicked thing Freckles…" he gave him a wink before extending a hand out "I'm curious to see your strength to survive"

Kevin knew he wasn't meant to walk down those stairs, and he most certainly knew he should have turned around and walked away but something pulled him towards the tall blonde. Those dark eyes made him even more curious about the world that he didn't know existed until a couple of months prior.

Watching small drops of water fall from the sky he made a decision. He took a step down the stairs, and then another until he was face to face with a grinning Sam. Kevin didn't take a hold of the teen's hand but rather walked past him hearing the other let out a breathy laugh.

…

Ed had arrived early to Peach Creek high that day setting one of the classrooms ready for an early meeting between various leaders of clubs among the school. As he was cleaning one of the white boards he heard a faint sound of a familiar voice down the hallway. The brunette looked up at the clock and letting curiosity get the better of him he put down the easer and made his way out into the hallways searching for whoever was yelling.

As he made his way to the main entrance he caught a glimpse of a familiar red head making his way out to the front parking lot with Sam. "…Oh Kevin" Ed shook his head with a shake of his head.

"Ed!" a brunette much shorter than him called out from the bottom of the entrance stairs.

"Morning" Ed smiled down lightly patting his pockets to find his phone.

As the shorter teen reached the top of the stairs he gave Ed a worried look "You alright man? You seem kinds anxious"

Ed pulled his attention away from the teen and saw Kevin hopping onto Sam's motorcycle. "M'alright…Just tired" he smiled again as he turned his head. He pulled out his phone from his pants back pocket "Go on ahead into the meeting room I'll be right there" he held up his phone.

The tall Ed waited to see the boy enter the school before spinning around to run down the stairs hoping to catch Kevin and Sam before they drove out of the school parking. "KEVIN!" he called out running at full speed and saw the ginger teen's head turn back a split second before they vanished out onto the town's streets.

Gasping for air Ed came to a stop "…damn it…" he wheezed out clutching at his shirt tightly. He looked around seeing if Eddward had arrived yet or if the J's were in on it, but he saw none. Quickly dialing Eddward's phone number he decided to return back inside.

"Morning E—"

"DOUBLE D!" Ed yelped out still out of breath "Double D Kevin just left with Sam!"

"…" there was silence for a moment that Ed thought he might have hanged up "What do you mean he left with Sam?"

"HE LEFT, he…he got on Sam's motorcycle and they took off I don't know where or why, but I was in the conference room setting up when I heard yelling and it was Kevin but he willingly got on so I don't know"

"Damn it" Ed heard Eddward grit out angrily and a jingle of keys as he imagined Eddward running around the house in an infuriated rush.

"That's what I said!" Ed yelled out exasperated swinging his arms up in the air as he made his way up the stairs once again. "Look…" Ed took a deep breath in "I don't think Sam's going to do anything to harm Kevin, but… I worried about the fact that Sam has been paying too much attention to him."

"It's obvious he's up to something…I'll try to find them" Eddward sighed out

"Yeah…" Ed paused when he reached the top and turned back to the face the parking lot "You don't think Sam knows you really care for Kevin…right?"

Ed heard a sigh along with a low rumble of a car engine "…I care about you both" Eddward finally mumbled out before hanging up. With a smirk Ed let his hand drop and started heading inside "That's not what I meant" he chuckled out.

…

The more times Eddward circled the town the more worried he was becoming. He had driven around the areas he thought Sam and Kevin would be but no luck. The more Eddward mistaken Kevin for another ginger teen or had any sense of false hoped the more infuriated he became. Why had Kevin thought leaving the campus with Sam to who knows where was a good idea? The fact that Kevin hadn't even contacted him or Ed was worrisome and irresponsible.

He decided to pull over and walk for some time even asking some of the gang members around town if they had seen Sam. None of them had or they were keeping it a secret.

Eventually he resorted to just roaming around the town hoping to spot them but once again had no chances of luck. Eddward had decided it would be best to just head to Peach Creek High, since the clouds were only getting darker and Sam would more than likely bring Kevin back to school before it began pouring again. Or at least he prayed he would.

He had arrived a class period late but that didn't matter to him. What mattered was Kevin. Eddward had sent countless messages to Kevin's phone but for some reason he would not get a reply. Ed wasn't able to get ahold of the ginger teen either and at that point he was ready to simply drop everything and grab the tall Ed and go on a hunting spree.

Nazz had even made eye contact with him across the hall as he made his way to his 3rd class with a confused expression and mouthed "Where is Kevin?" He had shrugged and shook his head with an exasperated sigh disappointed that even the girl had no idea where the ginger was. The look he got from her after only fueled his frustration further.

It wasn't until midway through fourth period when Eddward was glaring out the window that his frustrations had for a split moment cooled down from the sight of relief before igniting at full capacity. He had spotted Kevin running into the school building and Sam nowhere in sight…

Moments later, Kevin finally entered the classroom with a note in hand smiling sheepishly at the teacher before taking a seat next to Eddward. Kevin did not in fact however, make any sort of contact with him and that only brought back his anger. Eddward found it pointless to glare at the ginger when the other had the intention of ignoring him through the class, but oh he was _not_ going to be ignored after that bell rang.

…

Kevin held on tightly to Sam throughout the ride as a part of him yelled what a bad idea this was and the other half tried to calm down his anxiety. If Ed told Eddward about this he could only imagine how enraged the swimmer would be…but this was an opportunity he chose to take for the sake of the greater good. Perhaps hearing and seeing what Sam had to offer could provide with enough knowledge to get an entire perspective on the threat at hand.

He had had enough getting babied by both Ed's in all honesty, treating him like some fragile object. He understood Sam was dangerous, but so was Johnny and Jimmy and he had to deal with them and their beatings the previous year. He doubted Sam would do anything today, though he couldn't help but worry as they seemed to get into a sketchy part of town on the east side.

"Ever heard of the east end?" Sam called out over his shoulder.

"Yeah" Kevin yelled back "It's where everyone considers the east side of town to end, even though there's still a neighborhood there."

"Know why?" Sam picked up speed through an abandoned street as he passed a sign that said _EAST END: No Trespassing_.

"Not really, I always thought it was just an empty neighborhood. Some kids like to say that the area's haunted by old ghosts from the Great Depression"

"Well, you're about to find out love" Sam called back with a chuckle as continued to speed through without a care in the world. Had this been a normal outing with just about anyone else Kevin would have been having the time of his life and encouraging to increase speed. However, that was not the case and for all Kevin knew he might as well be quickly speeding into a wolf's den.

About two miles passing the empty neighborhood Kevin could see there was a vast field and a crumbling building far off in the middle surrounded by a forest. As they approached the building Kevin recognized it as the old forestry factory that closed down years before he was born. Sam decreased his speed until he arrived at the entrance. At this Kevin was feeling very nervous but he got off the bike once Sam had come to a stop. "Why are we here?" he questioned taking off the helmet Sam had given him.

"You'll see" Sam simply smiled as he took the helmet from Kevin's hand and hanged it on the motorcycles handle.

Kevin gave Sam a look as felt his phone vibrate in his jacket. He knew it was either Ed or Eddward trying to contact him so he ignored it. Sam had looked down at Kevin's jacket and smirked turning to face the building.

The tall blonde gestured with a nod towards the direction of the building to follow him. The entrance to the building was sealed shut with pieces of wood. The walls were covered in graffiti of sharks and bubbly letters. As far Kevin could see and hear there was nothing inside the building. "How are we getting inside?"

With a touch to his freckled arm Sam lead Kevin around the building until he saw a door shut tight with a lock. The blonde pulled out a key jingling it in the smaller teen's direction " _This_ , my dear freckles is the key to a whole wide world you've never seen before" Sam inserted the key into the lock and turned to Kevin eyeing him for a moment. Before opening the door he stepped back and ruffled the ginger's hair playfully. "I love the look of innocent curiosity" he said before taking the lock off and shoving the door open. "After you" he gestured inside with a hand.

Kevin frowned giving the other a glare before stepping inside followed by the blonde. Inside the building there was as Kevin expected nothing special. Any big machinery used had been cleared save for some boxes and shelves around the place. The lamps that hung were covered in dust and were rusting as well as all the tubes that ran through the ceilings. Everything was rusting from age and only a small amount of sunlight was able to get in from the handful of cracked windows in the place. The emptiness of the place seemed to make the inside colder than outside seeing as some of the rain drops from outside were dripping inside. Kevin breathed in and looked back toward Sam who was eyeing him curiously "What's so special about this place?"

At this Sam took a couple of steps towards Kevin "Why do you think I brought you here?" he smiled continuing to walk past Kevin.

Rolling his eye Kevin followed the other a couple of feet behind "To show me your side of things" he answered nonchalantly looking behind Sam and seeing a staircase that lead down. "I'm going to guess and say this is where you have your meetings?"

"Precisely love" he turned walking backwards "Look at how wide this room is"

Kevin stopped and looked back "…" the room really was huge, enough to fit a thousand people probably.

"My goal is to fill this room with as many members as I can" Sam came up behind Kevin "I'm already about half way there but Peach Creek is too small and it's hard to find members who are loyal, smart and headstrong."

"Why do you want so many members? You're only fucking with their lives Sam" Kevin shook his head confused.

"I'm not doing anything wrong Kevin. Yes, I have people who recruit but we give them the freedom of choice. It them who _choose_ to join us" Sam placed an arm around his shoulders and tucked Kevin tightly to his side "I provide what they desire"

"Many of my members join for various reasons Kevin. Some join because it's a means of profit, some for protection, a sense of identity or belonging, or simply for personal status…you know because it's _cool_ " he chuckled.

Kevin frowned remembering Eddward confessing that his reason for joining was for that sense of belonging. "I'm helping these kids, they all have story and I care about all of them because once they join my gang they are family." The smaller teen turned to look up at Sam who wore a serious face "Only when my trust has been betrayed am I not kind"

"I get the whole thing about helping them out but this isn't the way. I don't really know what your gang gets up to but I know it's bad and that isn't right" Kevin stepped away from Sam hold "Your manipulating some of these kids who don't want to be part of your gang. If you want to help them then you would have thought of something that's healthy for them instead of turning them into criminals"

"Kevin, do you honestly think all human kind is good? These kids knew what they were getting into and they wanted it. These kids are criminals at heart, they won't ever change"

"But what if they do want to change? What if they want something more in their lives? How do you think you're helping them to be normal civilians?"

"These kids are scarred; they won't function as normal civilians to begin with. I'm providing them a place to belong in a society that frowns upon them." Sam lifted up his arms gesturing at the area. "These kids come from unstable families, guardians with violent attitudes, poverty, low self-esteem, identity issues, lack of role models and the list goes on" the tall blonde shook his head "They are only good for the bad life, besides as far as I know none are complaining"

 _Eddward!_ Kevin yelled in his head with an angered expression "What are you gaining from this?"

"That's the fun part, you see freckles. I gain a lot from this" Sam laughed shrugging as he seemed to make a list in his head "Money, power, respect, I get to leave behind a legacy" he smiled raising his eyebrows in emphasis "You know, I don't think I formally introduced my family to you yet. Come with me" he lifted a finger to direct Kevin to follow as he made his way down the stairs.

Kevin stood a moment afraid to head down stairs with him and terrified of what he was going to show him but with a hold of his breath Kevin made his way down the metal stairs as well. For a moment what he walked into was total darkness until he felt a hand wrap around his waist and pull him around a corner. Kevin could see a railing that looked over what seemed to be a lower level of the factory. There were various lightbulbs hanging but only four were on at the moment with what seemed to be a boxing rink in the middle. A handful of teens were hanging around at the lower level making Kevin tense up.

Sam felt this and gave Kevin a squeeze "Don't mind them love, they won't bite so long as I'm with you"

He brought them into a small office where he once again pulled out a key to open the door. Upon opening it he guided Kevin through and turned to close it and switching a light on. "Now, have you heard of The Great Whites?" Sam asked a walking behind a desk and opening a cabinet with various papers inside.

"I-Isn't that the nickname for the Peach Creak high community? Because our mascot is a great white shark…"

"Indeed" Sam took out a clipping of newspaper ad handed it to Kevin. There were three gang members all with leather jackets and a blue bandana covering their nose and mouth. The title read _The Great Whites Turf War Rages On_ with the date of 1992. "See, our gang has been passed down from leader to leader for a couple of generations. It started in Peach Creek High. However, there was a civil war in that time that split The Great Whites. The gang leader had just been murdered by the committee leader, though the position was going to be handed down to the leaders most trusted member, my uncle. This tension from both sides separated The Great Whites and a war was erupted between the two and they then began to fight for turf after turf. Eventually both sides diminished…My uncle and the committee leader ended up dead during their last battle." Sam paused, giving Kevin some time to breath as he could see the freckled teen taking all the strong information in as he intensely stared down at the picture.

"My brother was the one to restart the gang. There were a small number of members but it was enough. Then he passed it down to me when I was a freshman in Lemon Brook, which is why most members are over there." Sam took a breath taking a seat in the leather chair "I've been trying to expand ever since here in Peach Creek"

Kevin put down the newspaper clipping on the desk and looked up at those dark eyes. With a shake of his head he spoke in a quiet voice "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because freckles, you keep telling me to stop what I am doing but this isn't so simple. I have a structure in the making in this town and an underground society running. And you seem to be in possession of something that is mine" Sam smiled "I need it to move forward"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Kevin continued to frown.

Sam cracked a smirk so wide Kevin was able to see his teeth clearly reminding him of a dangerous shark "Don't play dumb love, I have eyes all over this town I know you've been running around with my most precious price."

"What?" Kevin raised his voice slightly at this

"Look, in all honesty, I don't give a damn about your relationship with Eddward, what I care about is that you've been stuffing nonsense in his head. He isn't in his right mind; I need him back to the way he used to be. So, either you stay away from him or just shut it and let him do what he does best."

"Eddward isn't something you can manipulate to fit your needs, he isn't some price, he's a human being for fucks sake!" Kevin yelled out angered at the way the tall teen was describing him. "I'm trying to help him!"

"NO you aren't!" Sam stood from the chair "You don't know Eddward Vincent! You don't know his story, you don't know the reason he joined me! You don't know anything about him!"

Kevin folded his freckled hands into fists "I know enough to know he's been hurting! I know enough to know that he wants to change and that he isn't happy being in this gang"

Sam laughed out "Do you even know what he does for me? What he has done to get the car he has? To get the money to pay all big expenses? Sure, his bastard father grants him a yearly allowance but that's barely enough to actually live off from." The blonde walked around the desk to where a wide window was and looked out to the rink on the lower level. "He has been my most loyal member thus far, dear Kevin. In all honesty, I don't think he really wants out."

"Then why are you black mailing him! What's the reason he's so afraid!" Kevin shouted out completely enraged.

With a raised eyebrow Sam turned around "That's something I cannot say." Sam leaned off the window and headed back around the desk to pull out a sheet of paper. "Now, I suggest you start heading back to school unfortunately I have some business to attend to here" he began writing a note "Hand this in the office and you should be all cleared" he stretched his hand out for Kevin to take the note but as Kevin was about to grab it he pulled back "I highly suggest you step away from this Kevin. Things could get awfully messy"

With glare Kevin reached again to grab the note and take it from the other's hand "I don't think I can" he turned to walk out the door.

"One more thing" the other called out "Tomorrow after school head on over to the west park. Maybe you're the type that needs to see it to believe it" Sam smiled

With that Kevin was out of the small office and quickly made his way up the stairs only turning to quickly glance down at the rink. The scene gave him bad vibes, he knew the gang must get up to some terrible things down there, but he could only imagine.

The rest of the way he walked in anger as he felt the cool water pour over his skin. He didn't pull his hood over feeling the need to have the water sooth the anger. Kevin couldn't stop thinking about everything Sam had told him. The way he talked about Eddward enraged him the most, like he was some toy or obedient dog. All Kevin had gotten out of this was that Sam was absolutely insane.

Heading over to his house, Kevin couldn't help but feel unease as Sam voice kept yelling about how Kevin didn't know Eddward at all. That small part of the conversation kept replaying in his head making him feel uneasy. Kevin had liked to think that he knew Eddward at this point, he knew enough about his past to know it why he had become the bad guy. However, there were gaps in his story that Kevin didn't know yet knew they were topics that brought painful memories for the other.

Once he had reached home, Kevin had taken out his motorcycle and mounted it deciding not to walk the rest of the way to school. It hurt to know Eddward had done things while in the gang and probably continued to do, though Kevin had thought he had stopped. His only question now was to figure out what Sam was blackmailing Eddward with. It seemed to be everyone around him knew except him and that only frustrated him further. Why would Sam blackmail Eddward with something that people already knew… in fact just how many knew? He wondered if all those in the gang had an idea of what it was or if it was only those closest to Eddward. If Ed knew then why hadn't he done anything until now to help?

Through his ride to school Kevin kept thinking about a lot of things. It was weird to think that throughout this quiet town there were so many things happening in the shadows. As he passed by through the rainy streets of Peach Creek he noticed small things like the graffiti shark painted throughout some areas and how some teen he had never noticed before hanged around wearing leather jackets, clearly the uniform of the gang members. He had been so naïve to think this whole gang thing was something so small. This was dangerous and he feared to know what Eddward had done as a loyal member. He feared to know what he was currently doing, though most of all he feared to know what he was going to witness tomorrow in the park.

He parked in the front of the school and quickly headed inside. He stopped by his locker to pull off his soaked jacket and headed to the office to give the note Sam had given him. Once he had been given the okay he looked at the time and realized he had arrived in the middle of his fourth period class. The class he had with Eddward who was surely angry beyond belief at the fact he wouldn't answer the many texts and calls.

With a sigh he made his way to their history class praying that Eddward wasn't as angry as he imagined him to be. However, upon opening the door Kevin knew he was in trouble. He didn't really need to look at the other to know he was glaring at him. So he stayed quiet and didn't dare to look at him as he quickly took his usual seat next to the raven haired teen.

…

Once the bell had rung Kevin stayed silent in his seat waiting for everyone in the room to leave. He felt the impatience radiate off the other as he sighed heavily waiting as well. When the teacher finally stepped out Kevin yelp out feeling a hand turn him to face the swimmer. "What the hell where you thinking leaving school with SAM!" Eddward barked out.

For a moment Kevin was left speechless as he stared at the other's angered blue eyes. He would be lying if he said it didn't make him a bit afraid feeling the strong grip on his arm and staring at Eddward's intense gaze. "H-He pulled me out of school!"

With huff Eddward stood up "Ed said he saw you willingly jump on Sam's bike! Why!"

Kevin breathed in "Eddward, nothing happened ok? I went because I'm tired of not knowing anything, I went because I had to ok"

"No you didn't _have_ to Kevin! You should have walked away, you shouldn't have listened to him." Eddward began pacing "Where did he even take you? I was out looking for you all over town!"

At this Kevin felt his chest ache in guilt "The abandoned factory on the east side"

The swimmer paused with a confused expression turned to stare down at Kevin "Why? Why did he take you there, what did he say" he leaned in.

"I-I don't really know Eddward…" Kevin sighed looking away unsure to bring up the last conversation.

"Yes you do, I can tell when you're lying" Eddward had finally seemed to calm down some and kneeled down to Kevin level "What did he say to you"

With a frown Kevin leaned in closer to the other "He knows I've been hanging out with you. He thinks I'm, in short, a 'bad' influence on you but…" he looked to the door for a moment "I don't think he knows about what you and Ed are doing so we're ok" he whispered.

"He knows…" Eddward repeated with wide eyes "But we've been careful not to associate with one another"

"Its fine, he said he doesn't care so long as you get back to the way you used to be…" Kevin pouted.

"It's not fine Kevin" Eddward stated with seriousness in his eyes "If I don't play his game he could very well threaten you"

"Let him, I'm not scared" Kevin frowned keeping his eyes steady

"Kevin, you need to understand this is a dangerous field, you can't waltz in and go up against Sam like that!" Eddward stood up again "You can just go running off on your own and not even answer your phone, or ignore me completely simply because you want to play hero!"

"I'm NOT playing anything! I want to help you in some way! I can't just stay quiet and watch you struggle!" Kevin stood up.

"This isn't your problem to fix Kevin! You can't save everyone around you! We've been through this!" Eddward yelled out tiredly "This is _mine_ to mend"

Kevin slouched "I can't see you go through this alone"

With a sigh Eddward placed a hand on Kevin's cheek "I'm not, I have Ed helping me." Eddward leaned closer cupping Kevin's face "And you'll help me a lot more by staying back where I know you're safe. I've told you time and time again"

"I think it's too late for that Eddward" Kevin bit his lip unable to tear away from those ocean eyes. "At this point I think I can help get information out of Sam somehow, just tell me what you need and I'll do it"

"Kevin"

"Listen he wants me against you, so you simply pretend to be your old self again and while you and Ed do what you're planning to do and I'll be Sam's distraction." Kevin pulled away Eddward's hands and held them tightly "I can do it, just believe in me"

With a sigh Eddward dropped his hands "Even if I neglect your offer I know you'll just go and do your own thing so…fine" he muttered out.

With a smile Kevin pulled Eddward close to him and wrapped him in a tight hug and hid his face in the teen's leather jacket. The symbolism of it gave him chills but he ignored it nonetheless "I know you're worried but don't be ok? I know what I'm getting into"

He felt the athlete rap his arms around him too and smiled at the warmth of it. He didn't think he would ever get tired of hugging this grumpy shark. "I hope so Kevin…"

"We're ending this this year no matter what it takes" Kevin squeezed tighter turning his face to the side and closing his eyes as he felt the other hum in approval. "…Also…I'm sorry about today…" he mumbled.

Kevin felt Eddward give him a squeeze "…I was really worried" he heard Eddward whisper lowly.

"Sorry" Kevin muttered again feeling extra bad at the thought of Eddward driving around town trying to look for him. For this he hugged tighter and was grateful.

"KEVIN!" they both heard Nazz's voice boom through the classroom and immediately pushed away from each other both having a blush on their faces.

"Nazz!" Kevin called out seeing the look the girl gave them before finally running towards him.

"Where in the world were you!" she asked with worry in her expression as well.

"Sorry Nazz, wasn't feeling too great this morning" he gave her a small smile.

She gave him a confused look "How bad was it that you didn't contact any of us to let us know. You should be in bed right now" she grabbed the freckled teen "What you need is food, come on let's go eat something" she ushered him out turning to glare at the swimmer who was returning her glare right back. "hmph" she huffed out as she and Kevin made their way out of the classroom.

…

Kevin didn't know if he should have listened to Sam that day. If he should indeed follow through with going to the park, at least everything around him seemed to tell him not to. The weather had worsened the next day. The clouds had gotten darker and there were a huge down pour of rain throughout the day. That day had been a day where he barely saw Eddward, and when Kevin asked if he was free after he had looked down at Kevin with a sad smile and shook his head then told him to go home right after and that he would call later.

He hadn't meant to actually go to the park but something about his conversation with Sam the previous day had put him in a trance. And as he said his goodbye to Ed and Nazz for the day he walked to the west park.

The rain was heavy and cold as Kevin approached the park. There were a numerous of teen playing in the field through the rain some waiting for something. Kevin was far away enough not to get noticed by any of them but the rain blurred his glasses making their faces unreadable to him. He stood behind a tree waiting for whatever it was Sam had wanted him to see just watching the teens mess around.

It wasn't until about twenty minutes later when he saw three figures walking in the direction of the field. As they approached he cleaned his glasses and squinted to get a better view and froze as he saw the three familiar silhouettes. Johnny, Jimmy and Eddward.

Kevin knew what he was about to witness, he knew he shouldn't be watching and he knew that the Eddward that stood on the field was not actually _Eddward_. But he was compelled by some force to stay behind the tree and watched as both groups erupted into a fist fight.

Eddward was a monster on the field… he had seen some fights but hardly ever as intense as this one. The Swimmer could take on two or three of the teens at the same time and as Eddward made his way through the group he reached a teen who seemed to be the leader of them and launched himself forward grabbing the dark skinned teen and harshly shoving him on the ground lifting a fist and landing it on the teen's face. One time, then two, three, four…seven…ten…

Every punch landed was seen in slow motion. Kevin could see the rain dripping down Eddward's face, the bloodied nose and stands of hair falling out of his beanie. By the time Eddward had finally saw fit to leave the teen alone it seemed as if he had killed the other, but Kevin just knew he hadn't. He wouldn't have.

Some of the other members came to their leaders rescue as Eddward stood up and pulled something out of the boy's hoodie then left the field with the J's who were yelling something to the others.

Kevin stayed hunched behind the tree in a daze. The intense face of the raven haired teen reminded him of the various times he had seen that expression at school… the cold blooded tormenter he had come to know. In that scene, Eddward had shown no hesitation in attacking the other, but Kevin knew that couldn't be _his_ Eddward. He wasn't like that…he wasn't that monster. Kevin had seen Eddward suppress it and this was just pretend…

But if it was pretend why had it looked so real…feel so real.

There had been blood on his knuckles…

Kevin stood up and ran. Ran as fast as he could trying to quiet his doubtful thoughts, the thoughts that were afraid. He needed to tune them out, he needed to be unafraid. So he ran.

...

* * *

 _ **I just finished writing this today cause i've barely had time to write this weekend haha (Excuse the terrible errors on this)**_

 _ **Chapter 45 will be out tomorrow night most likely! Sorry about the lateness :(**_

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	45. Chapter 45

_**Why do I always do this to do you guyz... :'( sorry, it's been very hard for me to write and I keep rewriting everything and become unsure of everything lol but once I get inspiration and become excited to write I find that I can finally feel ok with what I've written. So, sorry to keep you waiting so long, but I hate forcing out a chapter. I don't want this story to be a task, but something I'll feel good doing and hope you all like it as well. :3**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

The crowd overflowed the wide dimly lit room engulfed in loud chanting and cheering. The crowd, though had little space to move continued to get closer to the arena, they waved their hands in the air and they jumped up and down. There was so much laughter and booing it was all muffled noise to the raven haired teen. His chest felt heavy, the room felt stuffy and suffocating, his entire body was on fire but he had to continue. He lifted off the edge of the cage and walked to the center of it as sweat rolled off his body like rain drops.

His opponent stood there in a much worse state watching him carefully. The guy was panting heavily with slumped shoulders. Eddward could see that his legs were beginning to shake under the heavy weight of his body. The guy was big, probably twice the size of Eddward, but what the guy exceeded in muscle he severely lacked in intelligence. It had been easy for the athlete to predict the guy's moves and where it was easier to strike. Eddward also had speed on his side. He tried to tire the guy out leaving him weak and an easy target for Eddward. Sure, he had received some hits from the guy's massive fists, but not nearly as enough as Eddward had landed on the big guy.

Eddward rubbed away the blood from his nose and smirked knowing that in a few more hits he would win the fight. With a calculated plan set in mind the raven haired teen charged forward hearing the sea of cheering and yelling in the background.

…

His body had really taken a toll on this fight. Eddward walked home in the middle of the night with his head hung low and holding tightly onto his rib. Unfortunately it had taken a bit longer to beat his opponent than he had planned but nevertheless he had won. Eddward Vincent hadn't lost a cage fight yet.

And Sam had been so thrilled, he had barked out a laugh as Eddward jumped off the cage. Greeting him with the biggest shit eating grin he had ever seen. Eddward had wanted to punch the fucking smile off his face for a moment, but remembered the whole reason he had agreed to go back to fighting. _Just suck it up Eddward_ he told himself.

He has received his payment afterwards and finally left leaving the others to have their after party. On fight nights, he would leave his car at home knowing fully well he wasn't in the best shape to drive safely. Walking was fine, it served as a cool down both physically and mentally.

By the time he arrived home he would simply pass out on the couch and thankfully was far too exhausted for his nightmares to bother. Thankfully fighting was only on Fridays, leaving him the weekend to heal and take it easy. It was hard to hide it from Kevin whenever he showed up, and sometimes he figured the ginger teen knew because he would become stiff. The little teen tried to cover it up by being extra energetic but Eddward knew him enough to know a forced laugh when he heard it. It was saddening to hear in all honestly. If there was one thing he hated was hearing the fake in the boy's laugh or seeing it in his smile. He hated that he was the one conjuring that fakeness the most.

There seemed to be a distance between them he hadn't seen in a long time. Eddward frowned staring at the empty spot on the couch next to him. For days Kevin wasn't as cheerful and didn't attempt to be in physical contact with him. Normally, he wouldn't have minded but this was _Kevin._ The teen was a hugger, liked to hold on to his hand and liked to sit close. If Eddward was being honest he missed it. He missed the tender touch of the freckled teen, the calming warmth that would envelop him, and he missed the comforting nearness. He had tried to figure the problem out but Kevin continued to pretend nothing was wrong. He could only assume it had to do with Sam…

The problem was that he couldn't really do much when he was trying to get Sam to hand him the king's title.

Letting a long sigh out, he laid down on the couch and stared at the ceiling with a frown. Somehow, he felt the coldness of his home more intensely than he had before, He blamed it on the fact that it was nearing late October.

He winced as he turned to his side slowly and closed his eyes.

…

Kevin had continued to receive little notes from Sam after their conversation. The neat written notes consisted of locations, dates and times. Kevin refused to follow through it them, though his curiosity did poke in the back of his mind. Well, he _knew_ exactly what the notes where about but he didn't want to see what he had seen the first time. He wanted to play dumb and pretend it was all alright. Eddward hadn't changed from his usual self…it all had to be ok.

The constant notes had started to give him anxiety…when he thought perhaps he would forget what he had seen, He would open his locker to find another one reminding him of the nonresistant fist as it hit its target, only to raise once more with bloodied knuckles. Every time he saw a little yellow note Kevin could feel his heart race and his breathing pick up. Every time he saw Eddward he remembered the emotionless intense expression…it had been as if he was watching the old Eddward…

…What if the old Eddward hadn't ever left…?

Shaking his head Kevin ripped the note off his locker and crushed it turning to throw it into a trash can. He refused to let Sam get in his head.

He paused looking at the yellow crumbled paper in the can in thought. He wondered what else that horrid gang was making Eddward do. Kevin frowned at the thought terrified to find out. He wondered if the notes would lead him to find the answer to this question, well he knew they would but... he wasn't sure if he was ready.

Kevin knew that Eddward didn't want him to know that secret part of his life, he was afraid he would hate him and little Kevin now understood why. He wasn't sure he would willingly let Eddward carry on as it was; he was already having a hard time trying not to confront him. He didn't want to jeopardize anything, but how could he stand by and let the athlete continue to do such terrible things. Kevin was afraid the teen would go back to his old self. He was afraid Sam would harm Eddward, or that Eddward would harm himself from this.

What if something worse were to happen and Eddward was involved!

"Kevin?"

"Ah!" Kevin yelped turning around quickly to see the source of the voice. Ed stood behind with a concerned look.

Ed placed a hand on the shorter teen's shoulder "Are you alright there?"

"Yeah! Sorry, guess I spaced out for a second" The ginger teen let out a nervous laugh fixing his glasses.

The tall brunette raised an eyebrow knowing the teen well enough to know he was anxious about something. "Come on, I'll walk you to class" the teen gave the other a pat on the shoulder before turning around to close Kevin's locker. He then gave a nod towards Kevin indicating him to follow along.

With a sigh Kevin followed behind gripping to the strap of his backpack a little too tightly avoiding bumping into students.

"So, does your team have any ideas for the robotics competition yet?" Ed asked calling out over his shoulder.

Kevin walked a little closer until he was just a little behind Ed's side "Not yet, we're still brainstorming. I mean we got some time we won't have to start building until late November"

"Good Good" Ed smiled reaching behind to wrap an arm around Kevin's shoulder and bring him closer "And what about Sam?"

Kevin looked up with a raised eyebrow "What _about_ Sam?"

"Have you continued to see him?" The taller teen asked continuing to stare straight ahead.

"No…" Kevin mumbled out angrily "Haven't seen him in days"

"Hmm can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing" Ed hummed as they turned a corner "well, just don't go running off again ok?"

"Yeah I learned my lesson" Kevin slumped letting the other teen lead him through the hallway.

Ed let out a giggle "You nearly gave Eddward a heart attack last time. He was out searching for you like a mad man"

Kevin looked up at Ed with wide eyes feeling a heat crawl up his face.

Then they stopped in front of a classroom "Alright, have fun in class" Ed gave Kevin another pat on the back and waved goodbye.

"Wait Ed!" Kevin called out watching the teen sprint down the hall "Why did you even offer to take me to class when yours is on the completely opposite side of campus…" he muttered out with a shake of his head.

He frowned at the thought of Eddward once again, and took a breath before stepping inside the classroom.

…

The blonde girl walked through the crowed hallways focused solely on getting to class. She had stayed a little behind after her previous class to talk with the teacher but now ran late for her next one. As she turned a corner she heard quick footsteps from behind coming up towards her direction. She turned just in time to see the tall figure of Sam stop right behind her. "Hello there beautiful" he grinned.

Nazz gave him a scowl "I'm in a hurry" she turned to walk away but was held back by an arm block her path.

"Woah there, wait a second" Rolling her eyes she ducked under the arm and proceeded to walk away. "Hey wait" She heard Sam call out to her.

He grabbed her arm making her stop and turn around "What could you possibly want?" she asked exasperated finally standing still and angrily staring up at the other.

Sam gave a little chuckle "Just as feisty as I see. Anyways I assume you should have a pretty clear idea why I seek to speak with you"

Nazz gripped onto her bag and placed on and on her hip turning her face to the side in annoyance "Kevin?" she asked.

"Precisely love" The blonde teen gave her a smirk.

Turning her head back she kept a strong expression towards him "What about him?"

"See love, He's a very bright kid and would be a great asset to my team." He teased loving the scowl on the girls face harden at this "well, I kidding, but there is one little problem and that is that he is interrupting with my business." Sam raised an eyebrow leaning closer to the girl "I'm only trying to get him to see that people don't change, and is only wasting his time befriending a certain someone"

Nazz raised an eyebrow "Are you talking about Eddward?" she spoke carefully.

"I am" The taller teen smiled down leaning closer to the other "I need Eddward more than ever, and if Kevin continues to disturb him I'm afraid I'm going to have to let the Jimmy and Johnny loose"

"Don't you dare hurt Kevin!" Nazz growled out leaning forward and pressing a finger to his chest "Don't you fucking _dare_ "

Sam grabbed a hold of Nazz's hand and placed it to his chest "I would never, love…So long as you help keep Kevin out of Eddward's way" he leaned even closer tugging her forward and pressing a kiss to her cheek "Now run along princess, you're late for class" he winked.

The tall blonde let go of her hand, turned her around and pushed her forward waving goodbye "ah…" Nazz turned back to see the other already making his way toward the opposite side. "Just who does he _think_ he _is_ UGH GROSS!" she rubbed at her cheek angrily hearing some of the girls around her whispering. She rolled her eyes beyond irritated that these petty Barbie dolls were jealous of her! For crying out loud Sam wasn't anything worth it. Suddenly she jumped as she heard the bell rang throughout the school "OH MAN!" she groaned turning and making a run for it.

…

Ed spent the past couple of days trying to figure something out. He was very observant if not more so than Eddward, and he prided himself from that. Eddward carried a sad type of frown lately and he wondered if it was from the cage fights. Nazz sported a cautious behavior, seemingly more aware of her surroundings than ever before. Ed had observed that the girl was always wearing a frown now a days and this made her comical standing close to the raven haired teen. The strangest however, was Kevin. Kevin had been awfully quiet since his outing with Sam and this worried Ed the most.

Sam's actions and reasons for keeping close to Kevin confused the tall Ed boy. He wasn't sure what Sam had talked to him about, he wasn't sure why he had taken him to the old factory. Eddward had told him the few details Kevin had given him and still came to nothing. What did Sam want if he already knew Kevin's affiliation with Eddward? Was it a threat towards Kevin? Or was it towards Eddward? Both?

Either way, Kevin was walking along a thin thread. If Sam wished to he could just as easily cut the teen's safety. Ed knew this much, and he knew Sam would most definitely use Kevin to his own benefit. He would use him to demand more from Eddward, and with their whole plan in the works there was nothing Eddward could do at the moment.

If only they had more allies on the inside…

"What should I do baby sister?" Ed sighed in the chair he was slouched against with a sadden smile as he saw his unconscious sister on the hospital bed. She was a beautiful as ever he thought getting up and picking up her arm and gently massaging it. Her ginger hair had grown long over the years and though she continued to be connected to a ventilator he knew her facial features had changed to be healthier…more alive "Despite everything that's been happening, I have a good feeling about this coming year, Sarah…Maybe you'll finally wake up" he smiled putting her skinny arm down and moving on to the other side to continue with the other arm. "We can laugh with Double D like we did before, and you can give Nazz a really big hug, and help me fix this mess I've helped create" Ed gave a small laugh.

He turned his gaze up to the window watching the sun set and smiled "You always were the smarter one Sarah…please tell me what I should do?" his lip quivered as he looked down at her comatose figure "I feel like I'm only making the situation worse…" the boy felt the wetness of his eyes build with every second "…I-I can't seem to save anyone" he held on to his sisters pale arm firmly "I didn't save Double D…I can't save Kevin or Nazz…I couldn't save you"

A tear dropped down his pale cheek onto the white bed sheets…and then another…and another "I-I haven't been all that you could have hoped for…I'm so sorry" he bent down hugging her form tightly.

…

Eddward pulled on a thin grey sweater as he walked out of the locker rooms. The natatorium was still silent as his team was still inside getting ready. As team captain he was always the first one out and setting out everything for the practice. His coach had talk with him in the locker room just before he walked out about the routine and what they had to work on. Eddward and the coach had agreed to work on the team's endurance and speed with the butterfly stroke.

He breathed in closing his eyes taking a moment to enjoy the quiet and tranquility of the room. When he opened then they glanced towards the bleachers where a certain ginger boy had accustomed to sit down and watch him swim. But he hadn't seen Kevin sitting among those bleachers in a long while and it made him feel lonely. He kicked down at the water before straightening up hearing his team mates finally burst out through the doors in a cheer.

There were a handful of new freshman and sophomores among the bunch and after stretching Eddward decided to break them up in to two groups. He had his experienced members work on their speed and the new comers work on endurance as he observed them.

The raven haired teen heard his coach bark out demands on the other side of the pool towards the experienced swimmers. Eddward kept his eye on each newbie making a mental not on everyone's strengths and weakness'. There seemed to be a cocky little brat among the bunch who kept giving Eddward dirty looks every time he showed off his skill. Eddward smirked knowing the kid had great potential but he wasn't about to tell him that. The chocolate skinned brat was faster than anyone of the others and Eddward knew with more practice he could out swim even the seniors in the team by the end of the year. The kid definitely had great potential…but he was still had much to learn.

Eddward quietly laughed out as the other kid accidently out did himself showing off and didn't pay attention to the pool wall resulting in his face smashing straight against it. The kid held tightly to his nose as he let out a wail of pain. Eddward walked over bending down next to the kid "You're not here to show off" He pulled the kid out of the pool "Your names Elijah right?" he saw kid grumpily nod holding his nose "Nice work for today, head over to the nurses office"

As Eddward turned Elijah called out to him "Hey, I want to race you sometime"

The raven haired teen raised an eyebrow "You think you can beat me?" he smirked at the kid's confidence. With a huge grin and a bleeding nose the kid nodded determined "Perhaps next time" he waved the boy away and turned back and yelled out a demand to the others. For the first time in a while the swimmer was excited for a good competition, and although he knew the kid wouldn't beat him he saw a reflection of himself in his determination.

Once the practice was over with Eddward stayed behind and jumped into the pool eager to swim a couple of laps. He felt the burn in his muscle ache as he continued to push forward with only more momentum than before. The fire in his body hurt but in a relaxing way, instead he took advantage of it by letting some of his frustrations out. Some injuries from his fights burned as well but he kept swimming until his mind went completely blank.

Then he floated in the water looking up at the high ceiling in total peace. The scene reminded him of his days before Kevin. How he would stay behind most days to swim and be in peace. The natatorium and water and always been his safe zone, no one dared to disturb the place if he was occupying it. It was a place where he could feel free, and not worry about anything. Except the tranquility now only emphasized the absence of Kevin's voice in the room.

Eddward let himself sink down trying to drown out the thought making his chest ache. Just when had he become so dependent on Kevin? It was a question he constantly asked himself and could never answer. Eddward felt as if he had never been as latched on to a person as he was to the ginger teen. This scared him. Though, the fear that came with this thought was different now from before.

He felt his body touch the bottom of the pool and he just stayed still opening his eyes to see the clear water blur the world above the surface. He knew he could hold his breath for a good three minutes so he stayed avoiding coming back up. As he closed his eyes once more he remembered his reoccurring dream of ginger hair and green eyes reaching for him underwater. The first time Kevin had saved Eddward, even though Kevin may not even know. For some reason Eddward felt the need to keep it a secret and had held back from telling Kevin. Perhaps he was being selfish with the memory, but he also remembered that it was the first time he put Kevin in danger. The kid didn't know how to swim and yet he had ran out to save him from drowning. The thought of Kevin's selflessness made him smile…possibly the bravest person there was.

Feeling his lungs begin to be enveloped in pain he slowly lifted himself from the bottom and kicked up until he reached the surface taking in a big breathe in. as Eddward rubbed the water from his eyes he was greeted with cheerful brunette eyes "Hey there Double D" Ed smiled down as he sat at the edge of the pool.

Eddward pulled back his hair realizing he had taken off his swimming cap. His hand lingered where his scar was when he saw Ed handing him his cap. The swimmer had no reason to hide it from the other since Ed had already seen it long ago and knew the story behind it but covering it was comfort. He took it gratefully and slipped it on looking around the room "Where's Nazz?" he asked knowing Ed usually walked the girl home after their club meeting.

"Kevin got out same time so he took her home" Ed kicked the water gently slouching.

"Oh" the raven haired teen held on to the edge of the pool leaning against it.

"It's Friday…do you work today?" the brunette boy continued to swing his legs in the water.

"With Ms. Adams or with Sam?" Eddward chuckled leaning his chin on an arm.

"Both I guess"

"Well I do…with both"

Ed leaned back and looked to the side over at Eddward "What was the offer Sam gave you for returning to fighting?"

"He gives me 50% of the gambling income if I win the match against Hastings fighters" Eddward closed his eyes not happy about going out to fight later that night. "The offer includes different benefits depending on the job he has me do…mainly just money"

"Hastings…the leader of the rivaling gang from Walnut Creek?"

"Precisely"

"Ah…Do you think you've gained his trust yet?" the brunette asked lowly after a moment of paused silence.

Eddward shook his head "Still far from it…I'll know I've gained his trust when he leaves Kevin alone"

"You think he's using Kevin?" Ed looked down once again towards the other.

"He's doing something…Kevin's been…different" The swimmer lifted his head and looked up at the other "He won't talk to me"

Ed breathed in "Give him time... I think he's just dealing with whatever Sam showed him" he looked down at his hands as they intertwined "I think he's a little scared"

"Has he talked to you?" Eddward lifted himself off the pool's edge curious to hear what the other knew.

The taller teen shook his head "No, he hasn't…I don't think he's talked with Nazz either but I've noticed he's been quiet…and very distracted" he shrugged "I'm sure he'll come around soon enough"

"Do you think Sam's gotten inside his head?" the raven haired teen asked quietly tightening his grip on the edge.

"He…He knows better than to trust Sam" Ed gave a pat to Eddward's shoulder

"What if Sam told him about the cage fighting?"

The brunette shook his head "I don't think so, if he had then Kevin would have yelled at you to stop"

He heard Eddward breathe in as he sunk down into the water once again. Ed chuckled lifting himself up and extending his hand out. "Come on, I'll be at your place later tonight to help you recover after the fight"

Eddward smirked taking the hand and lifted himself up and out of the pool "You're just taking advantage of the spare key I gave you to raid my kitchen"

"I mean I _know_ you want Kevin to be the one to help you but you also don't want to him to see you all beaten up" Ed smiled giving a playful shove at the boy's arm "So I guess you're stuck with me"

With a pout Eddward turned to return the shove "Shut it" he mumbled out. "Wait here, I'll give you a ride home"

"Okie-dokie Double D" Ed walked over to the bleachers to take a seat.

…

Kevin stared down at the new note in his hand unsure to go through with it or not. He had been good at ignoring them but the amount of notes he had been getting highly alarmed him. Just what was Eddward doing? He knew Sam was the one demanding Eddward to do this and he hated it, he hated it so much. He crumbled the note and threw it away. Eddward knew what he was doing… he was doing this for a reason. Kevin convinced himself of this thought every time he received a new note. This however did not justify what he had seen. Wasn't there another way? There _had_ to be.

What if these notes were lies? What if they were meant to mess with him? Why was Sam so persistent in manipulating Eddward? He had to get something on Sam, just anything would do.

Kevin had debated about talking to Eddward about these notes and about what he had seen but he was hesitant. It wasn't that he didn't trust him…just he really didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do, that is if there was something he could do. He knew Eddward would just tell him to ignore them and throw them out, which is what he was doing but… something just itched inside of him to follow through with Sam's notes.

He sat down on his bed just staring at it. He hated that he listened to Sam, he hated what was behind those notes…and he hated that he couldn't ignore them any longer.

He heard footsteps at his door and looked up to see his father with a tired smile leaning against the door. "Hey kid"

"Hey…dad" Kevin mumbled out finally ripping his mindset off the note.

Kevin's father leaned off the frame and began walking into the room "Mind if I sit down?"

Confused Kevin shook his head and moved over slightly to give enough room for his father to sit beside him. "…" he watched his father lean back as the man looked out the window.

"How's school?" his father asked turning to face his son.

"Good I guess…" Kevin frowned down at the ground "Same as usual" he managed a small smile to stop his father from going too far into the question.

"Good" the man gave a small pat on Kevin's shoulder and stared at his son with a fondness Kevin hadn't seen since his incident.

Kevin raised an eyebrow noticing the quiet nature that his father was expressing "Everything ok dad?"

Kevin's father smiled "of course kid" the man stood up with a sigh and began walking out when he turned "Remember your mother's coming for dinner tomorrow"

"Oh…" Kevin suddenly recalled that his mother had asked if it was alright to bring her husband to meet them for the first time. The Barr men had agreed but both had felt a bit weird about it. "Ok" he simply said standing up "Better make your famous burgers if you want to impress" he laughed out following his father out of his room as he lightly elbowed the man on the side. Kevin hoped his mother's husband was easy to get along with because he really didn't want to deal with the awkwardness of the situation for that long.

…he resolved to not think about the notes for the rest of the night.

…

Peach creek wasn't what it used to be anymore…Kevin didn't have to wonder where the illegal world hid. The moment Sam had taken him to the factory and explained the gang's history it had been like the blonde had ripped off a blindfold. Suddenly, every time Kevin ran through the town in the mornings or nights he saw the other world…The world where Eddward lived in.

There where shady guys in leather jackets around town, and it was easy to tell they were a part of the gang. There was the same shark symbol spray painted in alley ways and buildings, perhaps those were territories. He even noticed some smaller gangs around town.

It was funny that in all the time he lived in the town, he had never noticed any of this. It was easy to go on living in Peach Creek and be ignorant of the dangerous side of it. The great whites where different from other gangs because they weren't as loud as the others. They didn't announce themselves to the world or start street fights like it used to (Kevin had done some research of his own).

He wondered if his father knew anything about the gang since it had taken place during his time as a student. Perhaps his father and all the other parents believed that the gang was completely diminished and maybe that was why they never did anything. Or perhaps their parents knew but didn't want to get involved much like Kevin suspected the high school. It was impossible for the high school to be ignorant of the gang activity going on off and on campus for so many years. He was certain that Sam's rich ass must be bribing the principal or something of the sort. If this was the case than they would have to get the school board and education directors into the mess, and if that happened they would certainly expel everyone actively involved in the gang. If Eddward couldn't get out before then…the athlete would most certainly be punished as well.

He wondered if jail was also an option depending on the gravity of the activity the kids participated in. This above all else scared Kevin the most… he knew Eddward had done some shady things, but the extent of it? He didn't know.

If Eddward entered the gang willingly then when had the blackmail started? Was there a point in time where Eddward tried to get out?

There were so many questions that kept on piling up in his head as the days went on. And the less he could hold back from following the notes.

He was scared of what he would find…

He was so scared to see the old Eddward…

He was so…so scared of the consequences Eddward would face once this was all over…

…

Nazz sluggishly erased the marker from the white board. She had stayed behind to tutor some kid in her math class, and since Kevin was just about done with his club activity she was now waiting patiently for him to show. She had put on her headphones on listening to music as she cleaned the classroom that he didn't hear the door open behind her.

As she hummed along to a pop song she erased the final marking on the board. Reaching up high she saw a hand reach out and hold hers. She tensed terrified knowing the hand was not Kevin's. Ripping the headphones off she turned to find Sam of all people right behind her with a smirk holding on to her hand.

She pulled away with a harsh shove giving the teen nothing but a cold glare "What do _you_ want now?" she growled out.

"Oh nothing special love, just enjoying the view" Sam gave her a look as he stepped back a little crossing his arms and tilting his head.

Nazz blushed feeling extremely self-conscious and instinctively grabbed at her skirt trying to somehow hide her legs. "Get the hell out of here!" she barked out.

"Why? I'm not doing anything but observing?" the teen smirked wider now leaning against a desk.

"Well go observe something else!" Nazz yelped feeling utterly uncomfortable. Sam's dark eyes stared intensely at her that made her feel terrified. She gripped the eraser harder in her hand frustrated the teen would not move. "GET OUT!"

Finally Sam stood up straight letting out a loud laughter and walked back toward the girl. "Calm down sweet heart, I'm just here to ask if you've managed to convince Kevin yet?"

Nazz watched Sam approach with hands in his pockets now. She watched him cautiously waiting for the teen to pull out a weapon of some sort but nothing happened. "No…he's stubborn…I've tried time and time again but…" she paused looking down at the ground "I know he won't give up on Eddwrad…"

"Nazz I know he'll listen to you. Tell him, _Convince_ him to stop getting involved. My world isn't a place where you and Kevin can get tangled in"

"Why do you need Eddward so much? If you are who you say you are why do you need him at all?"

"That's not something your pretty little mind should be concerned with" Sam stepped closer "I have a simple job for you and you can't even do it right" Sam frowned reaching for a strand of Nazz's golden lock "What kind of friend are you? Don't you want to protect your precious little prince? You know what the end result of this story is right?" he leaned down on to her ear and whispered "This story is not going to have a happy ending for Kevin and it's not going to be because of me"

"Don't tell me what kind of friend I am! You don't know me or Kevin" Nazz eyes widened in fear of his words she pushed him away "Y-You can't assume how this is going to turn out"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. I can assure you what the end result will be…and you know it too" Sam reached his hands to place Nazz's hair behind her ears. "Protect him Nazz, that's all I'm asking of you" he smirked.

The blonde girl just stared up at the other with wide eyes. She knew Eddward was a bad influence and someone not worth trusting but was Sam any better? This guy had bad motives…but she couldn't out right refuse him could she? "…You know…I don't trust any of you…not Eddward and not you…But, I trust Kevin and I trust Ed"

"You're making a grave mistake beautiful" Sam frowned reaching a hand down to her neck.

Irritated Nazz pushed the hand away "Maybe, but I'll protect Kevin without your help. I'll never ever help you" she growled out.

Sam stared down harshly a moment before smirking "Well, we'll see who's asking for help when I give Jimmy and Johnny the ok" he stepped back caressing the girls cheek "From the moment I step out of that door…the _both_ of you will be game" he slowly continued to step back before turning around and walking out of the classroom.

At the moment the other closed the door Nazz fell onto her knees "oh shit…" she whispered out gripping her fist tight. "… _shit_ "

It wasn't until ten minutes after Sam left that the door opened once more. She heard quick footsteps and a frantic voice calling her name. She looked up to see Kevin kneeling in front of her and holding her by the shoulders. "Nazz what's wrong? What happened?" he asked fearfully.

Nazz gulped reaching up to grip at the boy's sweater "Kevin…I think I messed up"

…

Kevin was _pissed_

Sam shouldn't have approached Nazz at all. He had no reason to. Kevin never had any intention of getting her involved. He quickly ran through the hallways searching for the menacing tall blonde. It took some good couple minutes but Kevin managed to finally find Sam near the entrance with Johnny. "HEY!" Kevin slowed down just behind the boys.

Sam turned with a raised eyebrow "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon freckles" he chuckled

Kevin reached up to grab Sam by his jacket and with the other fisted hand he punched Sam on the face with as much force as he had. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THREATENING NAZZ!"

Just as he had landed the punch Johnny jumped on him and pushed him away from Sam. The blonde just smirked as he rubbed his cheek. "Johnny…" he called out to the other who raised his head "Have all the fun you desire" Sam chuckled and turned to walk away waving goodbye.

"HEY! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU" Kevin barked out fighting off Johnny who had a strong hold on him.

"You hear that?" Johnny grinned devilishly as he turned his attention back to Kevin "We can play again" he squeezed his fists tighter.

Kevin irritated let out an angered breathe before kicking Johnny in the balls hard managing to being set free and picked up Plank from the others back pocket and threw the piece of wood as far away as possible into a bush. "Grow the fuck up Johnny" Kevin rolled his eyes running down the stairs of the school entrance catching up to Sam. "Sam!"

The tall blonde turned around with hands in his pockets "…Stop interfering Kevin, I'm done playing nice. I get you care about him but Nazz knows just as well as I do that he doesn't." he turned back making his way to his motorcycle "He cares too much about his bastard father to really give a damn about you"

Kevin stood still stunned at the bottom of the stairs watching the other leave. Moments later he heard Johnny finally recover and run off to find Plank and Nazz running down the stairs to meet him, "Kevin" Nazz called out embracing him from the back. "Please…just stop" she pleaded.

The ginger teen turned wrapping an arm around the girl "Let's go before Johnny finds Plank"

…

* * *

 _ **We are quickly moving towards a scene I'm excited to write :D ( & Another EENE character will soon come out to play, can you take a guess?)**_

 _ **I love writing bonding/intense moments between characters hehe**_

 ** _Are there any characters you'd wish to see interact more? if so, let me know!_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	46. Chapter 46

**_Dean Lewis - Waves (Acoustic)_**

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Kevin had stopped receiving notes after his confrontation with Sam…Kevin had stopped having a calm day at school because now the J's were loose. Now whenever they saw him, Kevin had to make a run for it. There far more targets now throughout the school than there had been, and with Halloween right around the corner Kevin feared for all kids in Peach Creek. Eddward and Ed had said that they should be extra cautious this last week of October because they both knew Sam was hosting yet another _party_.

Nazz had tried to talk with Kevin and told him everything that Sam had talked to her about as well. Kevin now more than ever did not want to leave Eddward's side, though he still felt an ache in his chest whenever he was with the swimmer. It was an uncomfortable feeling having to choose to ignore one side of Eddward's life, but he just didn't know what to do.

He didn't have the power to simply pull Eddward out from that life style. If only he knew what Sam held over his head, and perhaps he could manage to do something then, but for the time being…he was preoccupied with simply keeping Nazz safe.

The ginger teen drove around town at full speed when he knew he wouldn't get spotted by a police. He needed something to clear his head, and each turn he dared to lower himself and pick up speed just a little bit more. He could hear Eddward and Nazz scolding him harshly and the thought made him quietly laugh. What would happen if he did happen to get into an accident? Both teens would surely hide his motorcycle, perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea… he humored himself thinking that that would be the only way to get Eddward and Nazz to finally get along.

It was late at night and the night sky radiated with the moonlight and twinkling stars, but as beautiful as the sight was, it was nothing compared to the night sky up at the cabin. He missed the days they had stayed up there; it had quickly become one of his favorite places to be. He knew the cabin was Eddward's safe heaven, but he couldn't help but feel attached to it as well and at the moment he wanted nothing else than pick Eddward up and drive away from all their troubles to the safety of the cabin. Sure, it would be cold but it would be worth it.

He sighed as he sadly thought about the summer memories. He drove over to the abandoned neighborhood to drive laps around knowing that there no cops around the area. With that thought in his head he took off even faster hunching over and holding on tighter to the handles of the bike. He tried to clear his head. He tried to clear Sam's repetitive words…

 _"He cares too much about his bastard father to really give a damn about you"_

What did that even mean? Kevin was under the impression that Eddward didn't care for his parents and that they didn't care about him? He slowed down some as a thought came to him…was the black mail somehow related to his father?

Then what…what could it possibly be that Eddward would be mortified? On the rare occasion that the swimmer would talk about his father it was never good, never in a positive perspective and Eddward always seemed to become angry simply at the mention of the man. So what _was_ it?

He came to a stop at a curved street that lead to the abandoned factory and harshly took off his helmet. The teen shoved the helmet on the bike's handle and kicked at dirt as he turned around and looked up for a second before covering his eyes with his hands. He was exasperated…

…Absolutely exasperated.

 _"You don't know Eddward Vincent!_

Yes he did

 _You don't know his story,_

He knew enough

 _you don't know the reason he joined me!_

Eddward had told him

 _You don't know anything about him!"_

"YES I do!" Kevin yelped out all of a sudden "Yes I fucking do know him…" he mumbled out quietly but equally as infuriated. "…I know him enough… I want to know him enough" Kevin opened his eyes and stared up at the moon right in the center of the sky.

It was late, his father was asleep, Nazz was asleep, and everyone in town was most likely asleep. Yet, here he was where he wasn't supposed to be, because he knew this neighborhood was gang territory. That knowledge did not scare though…had it been a year ago he would have ran away cowardly long ago, but not now. Now he wanted nothing more than to land one more punch to knock Sam's smirk off his face.

He knew that if he acted impulsively the consequences would only affect Nazz, Ed and Eddward. He knew better than to be rash. It took him all his will power just to turn away and grab his helmet once more. After a second of hesitation he mounted his bike once more and drove away.

What did Sam know that he didn't?

…

Ed was tired of letting Eddward do all the dirty work in this plan. He didn't want to be helpless, sure he didn't like fighting and he didn't like dangerous situations but Eddward needed him now. If he wasn't there before he would be there now. He would be the friend he hadn't been.

Ed had snuck out in the middle of his 1st class knowing the factory would be mostly free from the gang. He rode taken his bicycle out to the east side trying not to be spotted or attract the attention from any members along the way. They were only a handful along the way that Ed was aware of, and he hoped that the factory was truly alone.

He had made sure to know that Sam and the J's had attended school that day before bolting. It was after he had left that he had sent Eddward a message just in case things didn't go as planned. Of course the raven haired teen was totally against it, but had a job to do during lunch break and had no means of escaping to catch up to Ed thanks to Sam seemingly keeping careful eye on him.

The brunette approached the factory quietly leaving his bike on the ground just before he was in front of the place. Quietly he snuck around the place to the side of the factory and peeked inside from one of the windows. The place seemed truly abandoned, well at least the top floor was. He remembered that the bottom floor was where Sam's office was along with the arena from his days being in the gang.

The window was small but if he took off his jacket then maybe he could squeeze on through. Ed took off his dark olive green jacket and red stripped sweater leaving only his white button up shirt on knowing both pieces would only make it harder to move through and left them in a ball against the wall. Once again he looked to see for any signs of life before pushing open the window. With a breath he held on tightly and jumped lifting his body easily. His forehead hit the window's top edge and he winced but continued to climb through as he pulled up one of his legs in and then his body finally landing safely inside.

He pouted now wanting at least his sweater as he looked around rubbing at his arms shivering as the inside of the factory was literally a freezer. He held back a sneeze as he slowly moved around the placed toward the stairs leading down. Ever so slowly he walked down trying his damn hardest to be quiet. Ed held his breath as he heard quiet murmuring between two members. He lowered himself to the floor peeking around to find the source of the conversation. Two guys sat in the middle of the ring playing a game of cards. One of them was paying more attention to his phone then to the game. Ed gulped pressing his back more to the wall as he kept an eye on them praying to the gods above that he wouldn't get spotted. His position was very visible from their spot and unfortunately there really wasn't anywhere to hide.

He had only been to the factory two or three times while a member since he had moved to Lemon Brook with Eddy, but he remembered how filled the bottom floor would get during fights. He remembered the first time Eddward had stepped into the arena with such a presence and anger. Ed had felt a strong ache in his chest upon seeing the murderous eyes that glared at his opponent. It was only now that he figured Eddward had finally given up. It was only now that he remembered the dull lifeless eyes Eddward had possessed that night. Ed remembered the beast like way Eddward's performance was and how he had put his opponent in the hospital. It had taken four to stop Eddward from attacking the guy and Sam had only laughed out with a roar.

It was at that moment Ed clearly remembered an eleven year old Eddward…He had been always quiet sitting near to back of the class when a couple of kids had come up to him. Something had broken the raven haired boy…something had shattered him because it was at that moment that Eddward stood up with those same lifeless raged filled eyes and for the first time fought back.

Ed closed his eyes focusing back to the task at hand and pushing down his feelings of guilt. Once he confirmed that the guys in the middle of the rink had no idea of his presence he continued to slowly move forward until he reached the door to the office.

Ed could feel his heart beating fast with every second that passed… he reached his arm up to lightly jiggled the handle. _Damn it…_ The door was locked. He should have known. With a quiet sigh he lowered his arm and looked around the placed hoping to find something else to check out, but there wasn't.

He slumped against the wall in defeat until he caught on to some of the teen's conversation.

"…Making it up for last time"

"better be good…Eddy…"

 _Eddy?_ Ed creeped closer to the edge straining his hearing to hear the teens murmuring

"Yeah…up in the north woods…"

"Halloween's gonna be lit…"

"…to get my hands on those nerds…fucking animals"

With that Ed backed up again against the wall and breathed in soaking in the little information he had gathered. Satisfied he quietly made his way back up the stairs as he made a turn he came eye to eye with a heavily freckled red headed teen. This guy wasn't Kevin… no, his hair was rose red, his eyes dark, and though he had freckles it wasn't as much as Kevin had. Ed stopped with wide eyes taking a defensive pose and readying to run as fast as he could. Though, the teen simply raised an eyebrow and with his hands in his pockets continued to walk down the stairs past Ed. Ed turned surprised by the lack of conflict…but took this chance to run out of the factory. The doors were now opened and he quickly went to retrieve his sweater and jacket before running off where his bike laid.

Once he was safely out of the east side of town, he pulled out his phone texting Eddward. [Office door was closed. But got info on party]

With that he headed back to school just in time for lunch.

…

Kevin had sat quietly alone in the back of the class during History. Eddward hadn't shown up to their class that day and it only made Kevin worried. He had pulled out his phone in the middle of class when they were watching a documentary and sent a message to the swimmer asking where he was, however he never got a reply. With a frown Kevin fidgeted the entire period looking out at the window and towards the door hoping to spot the back stripped beanie. He had even texted Ed but never got a reply as well. Kevin wondered what the two boys were up to feeling an irritation fill him about being left in the unknown.

He was about ready to storm out of the classroom when he heard the bell ending class rang pulling him away from his thoughts. With that he pulled out his phone once more and saw he had no messages. He shoved his phone into his bag and walked out heading towards his locker. Nazz had joined her friends to go out for lunch, and Kevin knew as long as she was with them she would be fine on her own.

So what was he to do? He honestly didn't feel hungry and even being in the cafeteria along was dangerous. Kevin decided maybe he be safe sitting in the natatorium... maybe he would find the swimmer there, but something in his gut told him he probably wouldn't. His eyes lowered as he gripped his bag tighter.

Once arriving at his locker he placed his textbooks inside and grabbed two from his later classes. He felt shivers run up his spine remembering Sam catching him in these moments, but ever since his confrontation with the tall blonde he hadn't even see a glimpse of the other. He didn't know if this fact was preoccupying or relieving. For now, he let it be and decided to not question the teen's motives but rather on the Ed's whereabouts.

He closed his eyes feeling a headache starting in the back of his head as he walked through the hall. He tried to go sort through the tasks he needed to finish for the day in his mind, perhaps thinking about every day normal things might calm him. As he turned a corner he heard a loud bang and bang against locker immediately making Kevin jump and he opened his eyes holding tightly to his bag.

Kevin had turned into the East wing where at the end of the hallway he could make out some dark haired teen being shoved against the lockers. The hand that gripped the teen belong to…Eddward. Kevin couldn't breathe… he held his breath looking onto the scene only then noticing Jimmy standing next to Eddward. Jimmy had caught sight of him and grinned devilishly taking a step to turn towards Kevin. The raven haired teen then turned as well catching Kevin's horrified stare and in a split second upon realizing who was watching, Eddward's ocean eyes mirrored his own.

He still couldn't breathe… the sight being too familiar…to _real_ …

"I call dibs" Jimmy smirked wider taking more steps forward slowly increasing in speed.

"JIMMY now's not the time" Eddward barked out and never took his eyes off Kevin's petrified ones.

"Don't give a shit captain. Not after what this bastard did to Johnny." Jimmy continued to walk faster "You better be fucking ready you little shit"

Kevin didn't think, didn't say anything towards Eddward to afraid of the raven haired response…so he ran. He ran as fast as he could away from sight.

This time Kevin was able to get away from Jimmy. He had been fast enough to run into an empty classroom and hide until he heard Jimmy run upstairs looking for him. Kevin had taken a second to catch his breath before anger began to take over his mind.

Kevin stood and opened the door slightly to see if Jimmy was out of sight. He then walked out of the classroom and jogged back to the east wing with his fists clenched. When he got there Eddward had taken to make a call as his hand continued to pin the teen against the lockers. "Nevermind Ed, he's here" Kevin heard the other mumble out before swiftly placing his phone in his jeans pocket. "Kevin" Eddward began.

"I DON'T want to hear it" Kevin barked out pushing Eddward off the boy and ushering the teen to run away.

"Kevin, I can't let you do that" Eddward reached out for the boy trying to run away.

"Don't care!" the ginger teen shoved the swimmer's hand away once again "You're going to let him go, I don't care what Sam has to say!"

With a deep frown, Eddward let go and watched the boy scurry off. "…Kevin…" he quietly called out now looking down at the smaller boy who had his back towards him.

Kevin began to walk away not trusting his voice to speak sternly. He really didn't want to see Eddward in that situation…in that perspective…but whenever he did it just brought back terrible memories.

He was afraid.

As he took a couple of steps he felt Eddward's hand wrap around his arm gently catching him before he got too far. The raven haired teen pulled him back and Kevin squeezing his eyes shut tight felt his back hit Eddward's chest and they stayed like that more mere seconds enveloped in silence. Kevin couldn't breathe…he felt his body began to tremble and he prayed Eddward couldn't feel it.

Before either of them could say a word they heard Jimmy coming back to the hallway. Eddward hesitantly let go and gently pushed Kevin forward. With the push, Kevin began to walk away and picked up speed until he was running at full speed out of the school.

He needed air…he _couldn't breathe_

…

Ed had a knack for finding people when they needed him. He smiled softly as he looked down at the hunched over athlete with his beanie pulled all the way down covering his face, his hands keeping the hat at its edges. When Ed had received Eddward's call he had just arrived at school, and quickly made his way towards the natatorium. It was when Eddward had told him Kevin had appeared at he hung up and decided to let them be. So he sat tiredly at the school's entrance stairs taking in fresh air.

It was only minutes later that he heard rapid footsteps heading towards the entrance. He had turned just in time to see Kevin running out of the school and down the stairs in a desperate manner. "KEVIN!" he had called out worriedly.

Ed sighed watching the boy continue to run until he turned onto the street and out of sight. From what Eddward had told him Ed knew the ginger teen needed some time alone at the moment. So, hoping the boy wouldn't run off too far he headed back inside knowing where to go.

He had found Eddward at the top corner of the bleachers in the natatorium and the other made no movement as Ed climbed up and sat behind him. The taller teen let some moment's pass before he finally spoke up "Kevin will be fine" he began "He isn't fully aware of what we're doing…Maybe it would be better if you told him everything"

At this he saw the teen hunch down further and gripping his beanie tighter. "…He hates me" Eddward finally mumbled out after another long pause.

Ed raised an eyebrow and with a smirk "I doubt that, far from it my friend"

"You didn't _see_ him…He was so scared…he was _trembling_ Ed…" Ed could hear Eddward voice break at the last word.

The brunette took a breath in placing a hand on the other's shoulder "Double D… you're not like that…Sam must have told him some stuff that just went straight to his head." Ed stood and sat next to the teen. "Kevin doesn't mean it like that Double D" he gripped the swimmer's shoulder tighter hoping to comfort the other.

"…I can't stand it Ed…" Eddward let Ed pull the hat up enough to expose his eyes. Ed felt an ache at his chest seeing the tear ocean eyes stare up at him with such vulnerability "Why do I always drive everyone away Ed?" he mumbled out not daring to let his tears escape.

With a saddened frown Ed hunched down to be eye level with his friend "He's not going anywhere Double D. He'll come around…Just give him time... It's hard to forget some things you know?" he felt bad having to tell Eddward the same thing over and over and having no result. Kevin was sorting through his trauma with Eddward, and as much as he understood it would take time he couldn't help by sympathizing with his dear friend. He knew that Kevin was the only one who needed to be here right now comforting Eddward. "You're in deep water Double D" Ed offered him a smile.

Eddward simply looked up to meet Ed's gaze. The sentence alone offered many translations, but he made no attempt to clarify knowing Eddward would understand. This seemed to be confirmed when the swimmer's wide eyes turned to look at the pool in front of them and stayed quiet. Ed leaned back placing his hands in his jacket's pocket and let the other contemplate the thought. He just hoped both boys would figure it out soon.

…

Kevin sat at a nearby park watching a mother looking after her two little twins. One twin was boy and the other a girl. He sighed slouching on the bench thinking back to Eddward's hold…the silence that surrounded them as they had stood so close that Kevin could even feel the other's soft breath on his neck.

His mind trailed back further replacing the tense moment with Eddward slamming the boy against the locker and at that Kevin whined. He let s small whimper out hunching over recalling those same ocean eyes looking down at him with such anger and disgust. Then Eddward's voice came rushing in every bad memory flooding his mind.

 _"Why indeed little Minnow"_ he remembered the cold chill of the nickname

 _"I WILL not hesitate to inflict extreme pain on your worthless body if you continue to follow me"_ He remembered the absolute rage in the teen's voice whenever Kevin overstepped his boundaries.

 _"I'd advise you not to get involve with me Barr"_ Kevin would laugh out loud at the memory if it wasn't for the current situation. It pained him.

 _"You will regret that day you interfered with me Barr"_ …Yet despite everything…everything that scared him…everything that pained him he didn't regret it.

 _"Are you willing to forget now, because I hope you know next time I won't be so kind"_ No, Kevin couldn't ever forget everything they've been through…the good, and the bad. But it still _hurt_ to remember.

" _Breathe"_

Kevin opened his eyes noticing he had been breathing heavily. He turned seeing a figure standing next to him and he looked up to meet his best friend's sympathetic gaze. "Looks like you need a friend" Nazz offered him a small smile before sitting down next to him.

The ginger teen frowned leaning in close to be enveloped in the girls arms. It was then that all the good memories began to pop up. The first time Eddward had even comforted him, the tender touches, the call after he left the hospital, the cabin…the laughs and smiles… the hugs and vulnerability "…I'm the worst" Kevin mumbled out feeling himself tear up.

The girl laughed softly "I doubt that" she placed a kiss to his cheek. "What happened?"

Kevin sat back a bit enough to place his forehead against the girls "Can someone be two people at the same time?" he asked lowly.

Nazz hummed in thought before answering "Yeah… I think so, but in the end they are the same person"

"What if they had a bad side and a good side…" Kevin frowned thinking back to Sam's words haunting him "What if I don't know them like I thought I did? Which do I trust?"

Nazz sighed pulling back "Well if we're talking about Eddward you know I'm biased…but if it's hypothetical…" she paused frowning "…then you just have to trust their actions, I think that at some point you've seen the real person behind the mask" she smiled "I trust you to know who to trust Kevin"

Kevin hated having Sam's vicious voice taunting him. They made him doubt Eddward…even after everything. He hated himself for feeling the way he did. _"I won't ever abandon you so long as you don't abandon me ok?"_ he heard his own voice repeat the promise he had made to the raven haired teen over and over trying to drown out the fear.

…

It had been two days then he had ran out of the school and two long days since he had spoken to Eddward. They saw each other in class and throughout the halls but neither made an attempt to talk. It broke his heart at how lonely he felt from the lack of communication. So after two days of calming down Kevin finally decided to catch the other's eye from across the hallway and smiled looking away after receiving a small smile in return and feeling his face heat up.

Kevin spent most of the day with Nazz. They had walked together from class to class and sat outside by the football field during lunch. When school ended he sat with in with her as she tutored some kid who seemed to have a crush on her. It was cute, but Nazz was beyond oblivious.

It was only when she had asked him to return some books to the library that he finally walked through school alone. Jimmy had been trying to get his hands on Kevin the last two days, but Kevin was fast enough to escape him every time. The small teen hadn't tried to engage in a fight with him like he had with Johnny because he knew Jimmy wanted him dead. Kevin knew going up against someone seeking blood was dangerous and he wouldn't win so he ran…like Eddward had taught him. If he was every actually caught he knew what he had to do to try and get out.

It entire school had been nearly empty, even most teachers had scurried off at this hour. He slipped the books through a little opening where a cart would catch them on the other side since the library had been closed early that day. Then he turned around to make his way back downstairs to the classroom Nazz was waiting for him.

It shouldn't have been a surprise when he heard a distant familiar whistling behind him. Kevin felt his blood turn cold as he stopped and turned around watching the tall platinum blonde skipping behind him about 20 feet away as he chewed his gum with a grin. It's shouldn't have been a surprise but he had seen the teen leave campus earlier that day. So yeah, Kevin was pretty damn surprised…and utterly terrified.

Kevin quickly turned around and made run for it down the stairs and turning towards the west wing. He needed to keep him away from Nazz, Jimmy probably didn't know she was there and he planned to keep it that way. He made it his mission to find somewhere to hide while told Nazz to run away. Thankfully he managed to slip into the cafeteria with enough time to message [ _RUN_ ] and sent it hearing the door boom with the force Jimmy slammed inside. He prayed Nazz would get out of the school safely.

Kevin ran across the cafeteria slipping into the other side of the school if he managed to get out of the building he would be set. Moments later he felt his phone buzz and looked down seeing the message from Nazz [ _I'm out. Please Hurry!_ ]

That's all he needed to hear. With that Kevin made his way down to the gym where he knew there would be the back doors that lead him outside. As he quickly ran down the stairs he couldn't help but feel his heart skip at the continued whistling. It was as if Jimmy wasn't worried about not catching him… at this Kevin gulped in fear.

He made his way towards the doors and pulled at them. They didn't open. He pulled harder…nothing. He pushed…oh no.

Kevin heard the whistling slowly getting closer and before he knew it Jimmy spared a huge grin as he leaned against the entrance to the gym. "Something wrong Minnow?" he mused looking around the gym. "Why are so scared? It's just you and me"

Kevin didn't respond and ran towards the locker room not caring about whether it was the boys or girls. This was life or death situation for crying out loud.

He went into a shower stall and lifted himself up hiding his feet and waited for Jimmy to enter. His heart stopped realizing his phone could go off any second revealing his hiding spot. As the bully entered the room Kevin held his breath and held on tight to the walls of the stall.

"Dork" Jimmy sang out as he stepped slowly through the room "What does Sam call you…" he mumbled out quietly "Oh! Freckles! Come out come out where ever you are!"

Kevin peeked through the tiny opening of the stall watching as Jimmy searched through the locker aisles first. He would wait until he got to the second to last on before he bolted out. Upon hearing Jimmy slam his foot hard onto the locker it took everything in Kevin not to gasp out for air. "You can't fit in these lockers anymore…shame really" Jimmy turned mid-way down. Kevin bit his lip feeling his heart rate speed up as the teen made his way towards the stalls "Now, let's play a game…which stall are you hiding in?"

"This one?" Jimmy kicked open the door to the middle stall and Kevin could feel his arms and legs begin to give up from lifting him. He needed to get away but how? "This one?" Jimmy kicked another one open from the other end. Kevin was trapped… "How about this one!" he kicked open the stall next to Kevin.

The ginger teen calmed his mind…

Jimmy began to laugh out "Found you nerd" Jimmy kicked at the last stall only to find it empty "What?" he questioned.

Kevin had slipped under the stall onto the next one when Jimmy kicked and now Kevin with all his strength kicked Jimmy inside before turning around and making a run for it. The blonde had slipped and fallen given enough time for Kevin to run out of the gym start up the stairs when he starting hearing the others yelling. Kevin ran across the cafeteria once more and into the east wing.

It was in the middle of his rush that he saw a dark figure reach out to him and lift him up with an arm around his waist. He was pulled into a classroom and all he could think about was _get away get away fast!_

He thrashed around and kicked trying to escape from his kidnapper's embrace which ending making the person lose their balance and fall down. It was then Kevin when stared up at bright wide ocean eyes and loose strands of wavy raven hair that Kevin recognized the person as…Eddward.

"Calm down it's me" Eddward whispered quietly placing a finger up indicating the other shush.

Kevin hadn't noticed how close they were until he had felt the other's breath on the corner of his lips. Kevin closed his eyes hearing Jimmy's footsteps get closer and prayed he wouldn't find them.

When he heard the other run past the classroom he relaxed to some extent. When he felt Eddward place a hand on his cheek Kevin flinched and looked away. "Hold on…" Kevin whispered getting up and crawling away towards a desk and leaning against it "…Just give me a minute" he mumbled pulling his knees to his chest.

"Kevin…it's ok it's just me" Eddward's broken voice hurt Kevin to an extent he had never experienced before.

He looked up with saddened eyes "I know, I know…Just give me a minute _please._ " He gasped out suddenly feeling horrible nostalgia consume him. He had been close to being Jimmy's rag doll like before…back then would have run away from Eddward as well but now…now the raven haired teen was patiently watching over him with a sad expression.

Kevin chose this quiet time to take deep breaths and slowly exhale calming down his adrenaline high. He was feeling slightly dizzy from the sudden rush.

"Kevin" Eddward mumbled out lifting a hand and slowly reaching forwards towards the ginger's neck. When the swimmer's piano finger made contact with the warm freckled skin when Kevin turned his face away holding tighter to his legs. "Look at me…pumpkin?"

At the nickname, Kevin let out a small sob turning to look at Eddward "I'm sorry" he gasped out feeling his eyes tear up.

Eddward let his hand caress Kevin's cheek "Please don't be afraid of me" he smiled sadly "I'm not going to harm you" he reached with both hands to wipe away tears.

"I know" Kevin whimpered out.

"Are you still afraid?" Eddward asked quietly leaning down close to the other

He didn't know how to answer the question. He wanted to say no, because truthfully he wasn't afraid of the Eddward that treated him like the most precious person in the world…but when he encountered the other Eddward…he was. Kevin couldn't help but let more tears fall watching the other's smile turn upside…watching the hurt in the other's eyes.

"I-I don't care what Sam s-say or does but I want you to stop please!" Kevin pleaded grabbing the other's hand tightly. "I'm scared! I'm scared you'll go back to the old you!" he sobbed out.

"…Kevin" Eddward pressed his forehead to the others "…I can't"

"Yes you can!" Kevin shook his head harshly feeling the other's hat come off "You can! You just don't want to" he argued.

"Pumpkin" Eddward lifted the other's face a bit and enveloping Kevin in a tight hug "You might not like it and I'm sorry…but I can't do what you say" he frowned.

Kevin pushed off from Eddward "Sam was right…" he felt his tears continue to fall.

"Don't let him get in your head!" Eddward worriedly yelped out trying to catch the other's eyes. "He's manipulating you!"

Kevin shook his head "BUT I DON'T KNOW YOU!" Kevin yelped out gasping for air "Ed, Sam, everyone seems to know something I don't!" Kevin punched at the other "What has you so afraid of being discovered! Does it have to do with your father!"

Eddward was silent then he looked away "Don't…please don't ask me what I can't answer" he pleaded.

"EDDWARD!" Kevin sobbed out "I'm not letting Sam's turn you back to the way you were!"

Eddward eyebrows lowered "I've always _been_ this way Kevin! There's never been an old me and a new me!" he exclaimed. "Why do you insist on splitting me in half for your preference?"

"Because I don't want you to be what other people think that you are!" Kevin cried out

Eddward scowled looking away hurt "…a monster?" he questioned sadly "I thought you understood…"

"I did!" Kevin yelled "I understood until I _saw_ what you did…what you _continue_ to do!"

"I'm doing this with a completely different mindset! _I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU_!" Eddward yelled out. "Do you see me like that? A monster?"

The smaller teen couldn't handle the hurt the other expressed "No…of course not" Kevin breathed in looking down at the ground where Eddward's fist were I sight "I don't want you to do this…This is criminal Eddward. There has to be another way I care too much to ignore it"

"There is no other way Kevin…Unless you want me turn myself in. Then I'll do it" Eddward whispered out.

Kevin looked up horrified "NO! No, not that. I wouldn't know what to do without you here"

Eddward breathed in "Look I need you to understand something…What I did before…before you, I did without remorse. I was angry, lost and utterly done with the bullshit life kept on throwing at me." Eddward paused making eye contact "Somewhere along the way you decided I was worth saving…and for that I thank you. You continue to _build_ me up Kevin, but deep down I'm still rusty, I'm still broken in some parts. That isn't your fault…you can't fix everything."

Eddward leaned even closer toward the ginger teen who would not dare break their eye contact "If there is one regret I have it is all the harm I did to you…you didn't deserve it. I will never be able to repent for the damage…it hurts to see you still scared of me" he frowned placing a hand on the freckled neck "I'm so sorry…" he looked up to those emerald eyes "I know…the way I'm doings things isn't favorable…I know you don't like it that's why I didn't want you to know but…" he closed his eyes "…I have my reasons…reasons I can't say but please… _please_ trust me" he opened his eyes imploring the other. "I promise this is real, I promise I'm not lying and I won't betray your trust ever again…trust that I'll be done with this soon enough"

Kevin could feel his eyes flood once more with tears. _I'm really the worst_ he thought to himself as he flung his arms around the other "I trust you" he cried softly feeling a weight lift off his shoulder when Eddward wrapping his arms tightly around him and hide his face in the ginger's shoulder.

Kevin hadn't realized until then how much he missed this…

The comfort that came with Eddward's embrace…the security of being enveloped tightly with a reassuring press of their foreheads. It felt right…

Kevin tilted his head to Eddward's cheek pressing a feather like kiss onto the beautiful caramel skin much like how his best friend would to comfort him "I trust you" he whimpered out once again.

…

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 _ **..**_

 _ **hehehehehe**_

 _ **I said it wasn't going to be as long this time lol oops what needs to be written is written**_

 ** _I actually really really enjoyed writing this chapter and am gonna post before I go to sleep cause in the morning I may be like WTF is this lol (it's 3am)_**

 ** _Also I'm super excited about the next one also cause alot is gonna happen. A bonding moment between two particular characters I may have mentioned it somewhere...tum or twit? idk_**

 ** _and the appearance of the next eene character_**

 ** _**ALSO did you guys guess who the red-headed character that appeared shortly was? If you know Tanosan96 on Tumblr you may have an idea...(whispers ...it's Rufus)**_**

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	47. Chapter 47

_**Sorry for the SUPER long wait but you all have to know this chapter is SUPER long too over 17K! haha I'm going to say it is the 2 chapters I promised a while back hehehe... anyways I finally finished writing after some real life problems that left me a bit blue.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

The boys had waited until Kevin had calmed down and Jimmy was not heard yelling throughout the school. Eddward had then lead them out of the building and walked hand in hand with Kevin for two blocks where his car was parked. There, Nazz had been waiting anxiously for them to show up. When she stopped them she gasped in happiness and ran as fast as she could enveloping Kevin in a tight hug and gave the other a look that the ginger boy could only interpret as a silent thanks.

Eddward had driven Nazz home first and Kevin had insisted on staying over at Eddward's place. The ride back to Eddward's was quiet yet perfectly calming for both. Once arriving, Eddward had made sure to get Kevin comfortable before heading off to work at the shop. He had brought the down the chocolate brown fuzzy blanket he secretly knew Kevin liked best, and set a bowl of fruit on the coffee table. The raven haired teen had asked if Kevin wanted him to call Ed for company but the smaller teen had rejected the offer deciding to enjoy the silence for a while to gather his thoughts.

"We'll talk after I get back… alright?" Eddward asked cautiously looking over the other making sure Kevin was truly fine. When Kevin smiled and nodded he returned the smile and reached over to run his fingers over the gingers short hair…well it wasn't that short anymore. Eddward noticed how the teen's hair evened out his three long strips of hair on falling down on his forehead nearly covering his eyes. His a gentle swipe of his finger he brushed the hair to the side finding the emerald eyes shine brighter as they stared back at him in silent curiosity. "I'll be back soon" he let his hand fall and stood up grabbing the keys from the table. "Take a nap in the meantime, I'll bring dinner" He turned not looking at the ginger as he waved goodbye stepping out the door.

As Kevin waited in the cold house he picked up the bowl Eddward had left out for him and began munching on the fruit though he wasn't that hungry. He had called his dad to let him know that he would spend the night at Eddward's.

After some time talking to his dad on the phone he pulled out his homework deciding it was best not to procrastinate. Having something to focus on helped him to distract him from the day's events and what was to come throughout the year. Kevin had gotten up in search of a small stapler he knew Eddward kept in one of the kitchen cabinets. He had peeked inside some and gotten to one where he saw an unopened pack of cigarettes. After a long moment of staring at the pack he realized it was the very same pack he had seen so long ago. He picked it up and turned it over sensing curiosity to try it…

" _Helps me think more clearly"_ Eddward had said back then, perhaps it would help him to? Kevin opened the box slowly and pulled out one of the cigarettes. He grabbed the lighter that was in the cabinet as well heading out to the back yard. It was then he noted that he hadn't seen Eddward smoke or even smell of nicotine in a really long time. Kevin wondered if the teen had quit or if it was a very rare thing for him to do.

The idea or act of smoking was never appealing to him, but he did wonder why and how it helped Eddward. He had said it helped clear his mind, but how had he gotten into the habit, why was it so appealing above literally anything else? In this moment Kevin wanted a taste of Eddward's bad habit.

He raised the lighter and lit it watching the fire dance with the movement of the soft cold breeze. Lifting the cigarette to the fire he saw a soft glow of orange from within illuminate. He examined as the white tendrils of burning toxins filled the air. The familiar burnt smell invaded his nostrils, and ignited with a force. It reminded Kevin of …Eddward before he came to befriend him. He closed his eyes breathing in the scent remembering how the same smell would asphyxiate him whenever Eddward had gotten too close back then. He pressed the cigarette to his chapped lips hugging it tightly. Slowly he inhaled the chemicals quickly filling his lungs in a harsh invading manner. This made him go into a fit of coughing unable to take the strong substance. "Gross" he wheezed out looking back down at the cigarette in hand.

Instead, he decided to sit down on the step and just watched the fire burn the cigarette down in silence. Once the cigar had gotten about half way down Kevin let it drop and stomped on it. He sat there in peace for what seemed like forever not necessarily thinking about anything in particular. He let his mind wonder to memories of their summer days in this very back yard. Kevin had helped Eddward out and they had played like little kids splashing each other with the hose and even just laid down in silence. That made him smile.

The wind was cool and had made his heavily freckled cheeks flush. Kevin looked around entranced by the variety of warm colors that enveloped Eddward's yard. The leaves had fallen and made the place look messy and it was upsetting to Kevin that Eddward wasn't being as high maintenance as he usually was. Normally the taller teen would never let the place get too disorganized but now it seemed like it had been a while since he last looked after the back yard. This meant that the teen was too preoccupied or too tired. _That_ worried Kevin.

His eyes fell down to the ground with a frown. He wondered how long he would have continued to live ignorant of the criminal underworld of Peach Creek had he never reached out to Eddward. Everything just seemed to suddenly spiral out of control overnight and he didn't know how worse everything was going to get. He didn't know if he was strong enough to face whatever was going to come…Sam, Sam was manipulative and was a constant mental hazard for him. How the hell did Eddward survive through all of this bullshit?

Eventually, Kevin wondered back inside throwing away the remains of the cigarette and went to lie on the couch feeling a headache developing and he fell asleep. He hadn't realized when or for how long he had fallen asleep. It had felt like simply passing out the instant he hit the couch but sometime after he heard a soft growl of an engine.

"…Kevin" he heard the familiar tender voice from the raven haired teen call out to him. He forced his eyes to flicker open catching sight of Eddward looking down at him with a small smile as he sat beside him.

"Welcome back" Kevin smiled back rubbing at his eyes as he sat up.

He noticed Eddward suddenly leaning closer to him making him freeze as the swimmer's features came alarmingly near to his. Kevin gulped when finally Eddward stopped and the feather light touch of their noses kept him frozen on the spot. "W-what is it?" Kevin questioned nervously and extremely confused making his face heat up.

With a scowl Eddward leaned back giving the other a stern look "I smell nicotine…" he grumbled out.

Kevin smirked looking away and letting out a small nervous laugh "S-sorry, I kind of found your unopened pack…well I guess they're open now huh?" he mumbled out hastily knowing there was no denying it "b-but I only tried it once and that was it…promise" he quickly added seeing the disapproving look from Eddward.

"I thought you hated it?" Eddward asked frowning but quietly.

"I…do? But I remembered you said once that it help you think clearly so…" Kevin gestured out with his hands "You know…I thought it might help" he ended lamely looking down.

"You don't need it" Eddward smiled sadly leaning a bit closer.

Kevin looked up "I know, it's really gross anyways…sorry for opening them"

"No harm done" Eddward ruffled the ginger hair softly.

Kevin loved the feeling of Eddward's long fingers running through his head softly. It almost lulled him back to sleep but curiosity kept him awake. "You haven't smoked in a really long time huh?"

At the question Eddward raised his eyebrow and dropped his hand "Yeah…I quit months ago…"

"Why?" Kevin asked happy at the confession but still curious.

The smaller teen wasn't sure if he was imagining it but he swore he could see a hint of red spread throughout the other's caramel cheeks. "No real reason" Eddward bit his lower lip in thought as his right hand scratched at the back of his head where long strands of hair escaped under the beanie. "Just found I didn't need it anymore"

Kevin silently observed the other's flushed expression "I'm glad" he smiled.

With that Eddward returned the smile "Come on, I brought dinner" the teen stood up reaching a hand out to help the other stand up. Kevin took it gladly and followed Eddward into the kitchen where teriyaki take out sat on the table.

At the beautiful sight and smell of the food Kevin's stomach growled "Thanks Eddward" he giggled out placing a hand on his stomach.

They spent some time eating as they fell back into their comfortable routine between them. They talked lowly about anything that didn't have to do with Sam, the J's or the gang. It was a truly pleasant change for the both of them to finally get their minds off of bigger problems and focus on normal things that students should be worrying about.

Before they knew it they had cleaned up and gotten ready for bed. Eddward had taken a shower first as Kevin finished up some homework in the swimmers room. The freckled teen took this time to lean back against the wall and look around the room reading off some of the labels. He wondered for a moment why only Eddward's room had labels. He made a mental note to ask the teen. Once Eddward finished up Kevin wondered off to the bathroom with Eddward's clothes in hand.

Eddward found it beyond endearing every single time he witnessed the freckled teen wearing his clothing fitting him baggy. Though, he found that the clothing wasn't as loose as it used to be months prior. "You've grown a lot" he smiled putting aside Kevin's homework he had been looking over and laid on his side looking at the other close the door behind him.

"You're talking like my old man" Kevin chuckled taking a seat next to Eddward "I don't think I have" He said looking down at his noodle arms, though now they had gained more muscle with working out, they weren't anything compared to the swimmers.

"You have" Eddward poked Kevin on his shoulder "You used to be up to my shoulders in height at the beginning of sophomore year" he gestured with a hand "Now you're just above my chin"

Kevin raised an eyebrow with a smirk "You've been keeping taps on my height growth?"

Eddward pushed his lips together "Well, not necessarily…I just happened to notice… I suppose" Kevin noticed the flush return.

At this Kevin giggled turning to face the other "Then, how much you want to bet I'll be just as tall as you by the end of graduation?" Kevin smirked playfully.

Eddward let out a small laugh turning his face into the pillow "It's going to be difficult for you to catch up because I'm still growing too you know?"

With a dramatic gasp Kevin lifted a hand to his chest. "Do you have little faith in me Eddward Vincent?"

Meeting the ginger's eye Eddward smirked "That you'll be as tall as me in about a year and a half? Yes, Barr I do"

"Rude" Kevin pouted lying down on his side to face Eddward.

"In you…I have a lot of faith" The swimmer murmured softly locking eyes with shy emerald ones.

Kevin looked down to the sheets of the bed feeling very embarrassed at the compliment, but nonetheless couldn't surpass a soft smile and a familiar heat flooding his face. "We'll see then" he murmured back referring back to the bet. "So…" He decided to finally begin the conversation Eddward had promised earlier.

With a sigh Eddward closed his eyes and paused taking a moment to think in silence. Kevin waited patiently just looking over the other's still damp hair. Eddward's hair fell down his face parting where the scar was, giving Kevin a clear view of it. He tried to hold back the urge of touching the scar and silently wondered if he was ever going to hear the story behind it.

"Kevin…" Eddward began slowly openly his eyes once again though only half way as he looked down. "I believe I have told you how Sam was the one to reach out to me after Blaine's passing…"

Kevin nodded and waited quietly for Eddward to continue "Well, I had a vague awareness about the gang at the time and…Eddy was the one who wanted to join." He paused unable to look up "It was after Ed and Eddy…left that I spiraled down into rock bottom…" the swimmer closed his eyes breathing in slowly. Kevin leaned in closer hearing the others voice lower "…I had absolutely no one after them…8th grade was the first year I had absolutely no communication with my parents…they could have been anywhere in the world and I had no clue…I was still haunted by Blaine's death …Marie moved away" Eddward paused seemingly thinking back on the girl. "Ed's and Eddy's…betrayal was the last straw"

Kevin wanted to ask about the girl but decided he would do that another time thinking it was better to let Eddward speak freely. "I…" he stopped pushing his lips together. Kevin leaned closer pressing his forehead against Eddward's and reached out to take a hold of the teen's hand to give him comfort and support. Eddward looked up meeting Kevin eyes for a moment then looked back down "I had an incident…" he held onto the others hand tightly. The swimmer really didn't want to say any details on his first suicidal attempt. It was something far too personal and the memories of what he was feeling that night still hurt. Eddward was pleased that Kevin wasn't pushing him to talk and just _listened_ "After, I had no idea what to do with my life. So when I started high school…I tried to live normal again but it didn't take long for me to realize that beside the fact that I was doing what normal students do…I felt _dead_ inside. I was still so numb and that made me angry. I envied everyone who was happy, _normal_ and only had small childish problems to worry about" he took a deep breath in pressing closer to the freckled teen's warmth. "Another reason why I targeted you" he mumbled out quickly glancing up.

Kevin offered a sad smile and a small squeeze to his hand keeping silent as a form of encouragement "I reached a point that I didn't care what happened to me once more…That's when Sam offered me to join the gang, I willingly said yes. When he asked me go after people I said yes. When he asked me to do cage fighting I said yes. He asked me to deal… he asked me to go after smaller gangs…he asked me to become Eddward _Vincent_ the one everyone feared…the one who did all the _dirty_ jobs...his loyal dog" He paused with his eyes shut tightly afraid to look at the other's reaction.

Kevin had slightly sat up now looking down at Eddward with wide troubled eyes, but continued to hold onto the teen's hand ever so tightly. He couldn't dare to speak now because he knew if he did Eddward would stop. But Eddward's confession had him horrified…cage fighting…dealing…if found out the guy would easily be put in jail for who knows how long. Eddward wasn't a bad person…ever in all honesty, and now more than ever he understood Eddward was simply doing what he had do. Sure, what he did was terrible and absolutely wrong but the only one at fault in this tragic story were Eddward's parents for abandoning their child and left to easily follow a criminal life. It was _them_ who had wounded Eddward leaving him to bleed out. Now he understood why the teen had so little self-worth, everyone had left. This made the ginger teen's chest to fill with rage…the damage caused was something that could never be forgiven. Kevin couldn't wait until he was old enough to take Eddward far far away from this town. He squeezed the hand tightly feeling tears begin to fill his eyes, but he would not cry.

Finally after a long pause Eddward continued "I didn't care…I didn't give a _damn_ about the consequences. I knew Sam was using me as a puppet and I let him because at least I was _living_ in some way" he breathed in opening his eyes finally making eye contact with the Kevin's shaky wide eyes "…I don't regret anything that I did under Sam's demand because I've only ever tried to survive Kevin…I wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't joined"

Kevin made a small noise in the back of his throat knowing what Eddward meant by those last words. Had he not found a sense of belonging, Eddward would have most likely jumped from the bridge long before that afternoon Kevin found him. Perhaps then, Kevin wouldn't have found him like he had to stop him…He felt his chest tighten from anger at that last comment, but he understood Eddward's words and feelings behind them more clearly now. "I moved almost every single thing from my mother and fathers possessions up into the cabin or donated them and because of what I was paid to do I was able to make this place feel like _my_ home to some extent. I managed to save up to buy the car from one of Sam's older step-brothers. My father…barely deposit's enough for me to manage through the year. Had I not joined I would have struggled to continue with school and I would have most likely dropped out. Honestly, I don't even know why the man still sends money even though I haven't properly seen or spoken to him in so long." He muttered out with a frown.

Continuing his previous comment Eddward let himself relax "…Sam had a way of making me feel worthwhile even though I knew the life I was living perhaps wasn't the most acceptable…I was surviving on my own with a sense of support for the first time." He came to a stop waiting for Kevin's response.

"…" Kevin laid back down silently thinking over everything Eddward had told him. "You've been living like this this entire time?" he quietly asked.

"I…I stopped doing most jobs mid sophomore year...I was beginning to feel alright with myself and didn't require so much money anymore, so I only focused on being Sam's debt collector" Eddward responded.

"Why?"

"Ms. Adams…after she gave me a job at the shop I thought, perhaps I could redeem myself even a little. But God knows…no matter what I do, I can't ever be purely justified" Eddward pulled the freckled hand to his chest "…Sometimes, I still feel like I would rather…end this and hopefully be reborn once more, perhaps then I can make a better start with my life. Perhaps I won't be a mistake in that life" he confessed in a whisper lowering his gaze to the freckled hand he was holding.

Kevin let tears fall at his last words. He had thought he had managed to stop those thoughts from floating in Eddward's head. He knew what he meant…It broke his heart to hear those words after everything Kevin had tried to convince Eddward of his value. " _Don't_ say that" Kevin cried out leaning down to press against the other's shoulder. Eddward… _still_ didn't value his life.

"…I'm sorry" Eddward leaned his cheek against the boy's head and reached up to soothingly run his fingers through the ginger hair.

"Your parents are the ones not justified for what they did…they left their only child behind and for _what possible reason_?" Kevin gripped Eddward's wrist tightly. "They left you to break"

Eddward gulped leaning close onto the other "…they…they had their reasons"

Kevin shook his head in disbelief silently crying against the swimmer's bare shoulder and letting a finger run against the faint scar on the teen's wrists. He thought that they had gone passed this…but boy was he wrong. He should have known better…he should have been aware that Eddward still had his moments. Eddward wasn't living a normal life, he had far too many scars in his heart to easily remind him of all the shit he had managed to live through. He lived in an empty home that was a constant reminder that he was basically orphaned. He wondered why the teen kept that photograph of his mother downstairs when it obviously would bring him painful memories. Then, Kevin had to go and add on to his pain by doubting him and going against everything he had said that summer.

Kevin thought he could fix Eddward's broken self but Eddward was right… Kevin had only managed to build around the broken pieces. Eddward was the only one aware of the inside where his demons continued to haunt him. Kevin should have known better…the kid still had nightmares for crying out loud and he feared those nightmares would linger forever. He remembered seeing the absolute horror in the teen's ocean eyes. "Why?" Kevin cried softly questioning life's choices. Why was Eddward the one to suffer through all this? Why was life so cruel to specific people and so kind many who don't deserve it.

Eddward smiled pulling the teen closer cradling him gently "…don't cry Pumpkin" he cooed into the ginger hair.

"I'm s-so sorry you had to go through all of this a-alone" Kevin wrapped an arm tightly around the swimmer's shoulder "I don't care if I have to walk through hell with you. You won't be alone…not ever again. I'm so sorry"

"You're so kind…" Eddward smiled down making eye contact with the tear filled ones under him "Don't make such big promises Kevin"

Kevin pouted "Just watch me"

"Even after everything I just told you? You don't think I'm a horrible person?" Eddward questioned seeking out the answer.

Kevin shook his head "How could I? I understand why you did what you did…I hate the fact that you're doing it again but…I understand it's not easy and I'm glad that Sam isn't getting in your head like before. I know…I know why you're doing it all again…so…Thank you for taking such a risk. I don't know what that risk is or how it will affect you but I trust you" The smaller teen could see something bright in the others expression. "I can't imagine how terrible everything has been for you and…I hate myself for letting Sam get to me. I should have known better" Kevin closed his eyes feeling ashamed "…maybe I'm no better than everyone else" he frowned sinking on to the other further.

Eddward expression softened with a smiled looking over the other's form "Not at all… You're a whole lot better than most people I've met" he soothingly continued to run his fingers through Kevin's hair. Eddward leaned down raising Kevin head to press his forehead against him once more. "Come on, stop crying pumpkin I didn't mean it" he chuckled out.

"You do, that's why I'm crying" Kevin pouted wiping his eyes and breathed in "I'm sorry…I'm so stupid"

"You're not… it just the way Sam is. He's manipulative" Eddward reached a hand to the other's eyes to wipe away tears.

Kevin took hold of Eddward free hand and raised it up to look at the scars. He ran his thumb against one and frowned "Have you…done it again?" he quietly asked.

"No, not since the night you punched me" he chuckled remembering the blurry images from the night.

"hm…" Kevin hummed as he continued to stare at the scar starting to feel sleepy. "So we're ok…?"

"I hope so…" Eddward made eye contact with Kevin "Are you ok?"

"Yeah…I just…" Kevin breathed in looking down at their intertwined hands "When I see you…doing all that, I'm reminded of the bully you were. I was so scared of you back then…" he looked up "you know…I've also thought about it before" he looked up staring at those beautiful blue eyes.

Raising an eyebrow Eddward questioned "thought about what?"

The smaller teen pressed his lips together looking down at the pillow "…ending it…" he paused a moment meeting Eddward's wide eyes quickly turning dejected once more "I'm not going to lie…you and the J's drove me over the edge sometimes…and it's hard to forget about it when I see you still doing the same things as before even though I know you're doing it for a different reason." His freckled hand squeezed the other's hand tightly.

"Kevin…" Eddward murmured absolutely distraught by the teen's words.

"But, I think I was strong enough to resist because I had Nazz and Rolf…and I had my dad. Unlike you, I had people to remind me that everything was going to be fine. That despite the hard times, we still have people who care about us and love us unconditionally." He brought the athlete's hands closer to him "If there is one thing I have learned since getting to know you is that you are _not_ a monster and you are most defiantly _not a mistake_ Eddward Vincent… you are so strong Eddward" Kevin placed Eddward's right hand on to his own cheek and Eddward slowly ran it down to the smaller teen's freckled neck gently. "…I meant everything I said back at the cabin, Eddward"

"I won't abandon you so long as you don't abandon me" Eddward recited the words back to the smaller teen whose grin grew but with a sense of sadness to it.

Kevin nodded letting out a small breath "I want to be that person to push you to be better, and to remind you that despite everything you will always have me to stand beside you" Kevin whispered out leaning close to Eddward's gentle touch. "I know what you're capable of, and you are an incredible person Eddward. Extraordinary even…I want to see that person grow and become great, whatever that may mean to you. I just want to see you _happy…_ I really do care about you…more than you know. And if I have to say it every day to get it through your head that your worth it then I will" He closed his eyes taking a moment to calm down with the shared silence "I think we just…need time to mend for now…together"

"You have been that person Kevin…I wouldn't be trying to find ways to change for the better if it wasn't for you" Eddward continued to caress the smaller teen's freckled cheek "Thank you for staying after everything and being my friend" he smiled down.

Kevin returned his smile with find look "Thank you for trusting me and being my friend" the smaller teen closed his eyes enjoying the long silence and the simple soothing touches from the other. He felt sleep finally take him and Eddward's voice murmur something he didn't catch. For the first time in a while Kevin slept in absolute bliss.

…

Through school events and exams the group managed to talk things over about the little information but Ed and Eddward had managed to gather from the gang. Eddward had managed to get information of where the Halloween party was to take place. Jimmy's family owned a cabin about an hour north from Peach Creek. The swimmer knew where the cabin was having been forced to attend a handful of parties that the platinum blonde had thrown. He had also received gossip from Johnny that they were going to try and gather some targeted kids from both Peach Creek and Lemon Brook to mess around with. With this knowledge Eddward was on high alert keeping Kevin and Nazz out of trouble and out of sight from the J's and Sam. He had a feeling Sam had placed them on at the top of their list.

Ed had talked with club leader over at Lemon Brook to warn them to stay safe and out of harm's way. They couldn't tell any authorities knowing that if the police arrived at the party, Sam would suspect Eddward of betrayal. The party was member exclusive and only they would know the location of the cabin. Ed knew of the location as well from being dragged to them with Eddy, and he would be suspected as well. If either were found out they were going to face the consequences.

The tall brunette had been in a frantic since they had discussed the information. His anxiousness caused him to constantly check up on both Nazz and Kevin throughout the day until he was sure they were home safe. Eddward however was glad for this because it left him at ease whenever he had to leave campus for business. He was well assured that the both of them were in good hands.

Kevin had put in effort to be around the swimmer as often as possible. He resumed to meet Eddward after his swim practice and would enjoy watching the other swim laps. They would work on projects together and every so often Eddward would go over to Kevin's having more awkward run in's with the Barr man. Thankfully it seemed that Kevin's father was very happy with Eddward and would try to get the teen to stay over for dinner but the swimmer always politely excused himself.

After their talk, Kevin had seemed to want to be close to Eddward and would seek out his hand whenever there was an opportunity. During one of their meets ups with Nazz and Ed, they were discussing the problematic increase in targets over in Lemon Brook High when his lungs began to feel heavy making it slightly harder to breathe. He thought he was going to have a panic attack because everything seemed to become dizzy and frightening. So, he quickly reached out to hold the athlete's hand leaning against him closing his eyes for a moment. He had felt Eddward give his hand a squeeze and let the small teen hide behind him as he calmed down. Thankfully, Kevin had just needed a minute to relax his mind again and Eddward's reassuring grip and warmth was exactly what the boy focused on. When he peeked around Eddward he noticed Nazz giving them a look as she stared intensely at their held hands. He had looked away pretending not to have noticed and after a bit he let go feeling embarrassed and instead focused on the heated conversation between the two Ed's.

Through the two weeks that followed after Jimmy's attack, the blonde had continued to try and target Kevin. Kevin was always able to get away easily since most of the time the bully only ambushed him during school hours. After school he was always with either Ed or Eddward. This didn't mean that the J's had only focused on him as a target but their frustration was released on other poor students instead. Kevin and Ed would help some of them escape but they couldn't save everyone. Kevin frowned upon the school officials…they had to have known about all of this, just how stupid and corrupted could they be?

Kevin continued to scowl whenever he saw Eddward walk off to do a job or heard nasty rumors about the athlete from the high school students. Most of the time he wanted to punch their faces, angered by the disgusting giggling and whispering of things he knew where flat out lies. If anything the teen was very selfless. However, he couldn't help but wonder if Sam had started them in an attempt to get to him again. This time it wasn't going to work, Kevin was done listening to the evil puppeteer. He was confident enough about Eddward to whole heartily trust him.

At one instance Johnny had caught Nazz walking back to class after she had stepped out to use the restroom and thankfully the girl had bumped into Eddward. The swimmer had grabbed and hid her in the natatorium locker rooms being the closest hiding spot, until he checked for the area to be cleared. Nazz had crossed her arms and refused to make conversation but once Eddward walked her to her classroom she gave him yet another look of thanks. Kevin was happy that the two of them were slowly progressing in making amends. He knew it wasn't something easy for Nazz to do…Eddward and the J's had been bullying her since their middle school days even if it was only teasing back then. He knew it would be harder for her to trust, but there was progress and that was all he asked for.

The four of them had decided that on Halloween night Kevin and Nazz would spend the day at Ed's. The event would fall on a Saturday night, and Ed had made sure his team was to spend the day together as well while Kevin made sure to inform his robotic club. They could only hope that the odds were in their favor and no one from their school would be targeted. Eddward had some day time business to attend to that day and would attend the party to eye on things in the evening. This made Kevin anxious but he knew the teen could handle himself.

Kevin knew he wasn't going to be able to see the raven haired teen until that Sunday, so after school he waited for Eddward to finish practice. He had left Nazz with Ed and headed over to the natatorium catching most of the team leave the room. When he entered he saw Eddward talking to a dark skinned kid who looked younger than them. The kid looked excited about whatever it was they were talking about when he gave the taller teen a high five and rushed off into the locker rooms.

The ginger teen _loved_ seeing the proud expression on Eddward's face. The grin the other wore made his stomach flutter. Eddward wore an unzipped hoodie framing his marvelous swimmer's chest and as he approached he noticed the teen wearing a skinned toned rubber that looked like gloves. "Is that a brace?" Kevin asked grabbing one of Eddward's hands.

"Oh… yeah" Eddward answered taken by surprise.

"Why are you wearing them?" Kevin looked up concerned the teen had injured himself.

"Don't worry pumpkin, I only wear them when I'm practicing with the team or competing" Eddward chuckled pulled his hands out of the other's grasp only to hold Kevin's hands in his own.

"But why" Kevin asked staring down at the braces again with suspicion.

Eddward with a smile pulled back the sleeve of the hoodie with a chuckle "Well, to cover a certain something" he paused lowered down to whisper "But don't tell my coach that, he thinks it's for medical purposes I had a doctor's note and everything" he smiled raising a finger to poke the frown on Kevin's lips.

"Oh" Kevin lamely responded "I don't think I've seen you wear them before though"

"That's because you haven't seen me in practice, and I usually always take them off after it's done" Eddward began to take one of the braces off. Kevin reached for the one that he had just taken off to examine it finding the material to be very stretchy despite being thin and smooth. "From afar it is hard to tell I'm wearing them because the color is fairly close to my skin tone." He placed the brace next to Kevin's hand comparing the skin colors.

Kevin grimaced looking down at the comparison "Ok am I really that pale?" he wiggled his fingers in Eddward's hold.

This made Eddward laugh "Your skin color is perfectly lovely" he commented as he took off the other brace, the hoodie and the black swim cap he wore.

The freckled teen blushed at the statement and reached to grab Eddward's possessions looking up at that the other in awe as his wavy hair stunningly framed his face, Kevin took notice that it had grown longer. He slowly walked around the edge of the pool watching Eddward dive in and sink for a good minute before coming back up and staring his routinely laps. Kevin took a seat at the edge of the pool watching the movements of the other as he swam beautifully in the pool. He crossed his legs and folded the hoodie placing it down and the braces on top. Kevin still was surprised he hadn't ever noticed them before…he supposed the teen was just good at hiding them.

Kevin rolled up his jeans and took off his shoes and socks wanting to place his feet in the water. He breathed in and closed his eyes listening to every splash of water made from the swimmer. After a long moment he heard silence and he guessed Eddward had finished his laps though it had seemed short. Until he felt a pair of hands on his legs causing him to opened his eyes and look straight down at curious blue ones. "Hey" he mumbled out with a blush on his cheeks.

"Hey yourself" Eddward chuckled out softly "…you alright?" he asked leaning closer to the other.

"Yeah"

"Are you sure?" Eddward pressed resting his chin on Kevin's freckled knee.

The smaller teen sighed "Yeah…?" he smiled "I guess I'm a little worried about tomorrow…I don't like the idea of you going to the party alone"

"I'll be alright pumpkin, I can handle myself" he gently massaged the teen's leg with a hand keeping eye contact.

Kevin had noticed that ever since their talk Eddward had been very touchy, but he didn't mind because Kevin had been as well. The feeling of making some sort of physical contact was a reassurance and security for both. The tender menstruations made the ginger want to melt into the touch. "Yeah I know…but still" he mumbled.

"The night will be over before you know it" he gave Kevin a soft smile "If you want I'll treat you to breakfast Sunday?"

"You're too good to me" Kevin let out a small laugh "…you _really_ shouldn't spoil me too much you know"

"Why not?" Eddward stopped his ministrations and just stared up with a smirk.

"I'll get too selfish with you" Kevin chuckled looking down at the water instead feeling heat rise to his face from the teasing stare of the swimmer.

"That's fine with me" Eddward smirked "You deserve to be little selfish"

"…So do you" Kevin muttered out placing a hand on his freckled cheek wanting to hide the redness in his face he knew was there.

"Oh?" Eddward playfully smirked trying to regain eye contact with Kevin "Can I?" When Kevin nodded Eddward looked to the side in thought and at this the smaller teen became curious. "Well then, how about you spend all of Sunday with me?"

Kevin smiled back leaning forward a bit "That's perfect" Kevin reached down to move a strand of hair that covered the scar "You know, it's been a while since we went out to see the sunset" he breathed out feeling an sense of tranquility at the thought "How about we go to the cliff?"

"Only if I drive" Eddward stared at him seriously.

Kevin let out a bark of laughter "Come on! My motorcycle isn't _that_ bad!" When he saw the other wasn't going to budge he giggled leaning forward to bump his forehead with Eddward's noticing a slight redness to the other's cheeks. "Ok, you drive"

"We have a deal then" Eddward closed his eyes pressing closer onto Kevin who only let out small giggles.

The smaller teen felt himself hold a breath at the closeness "Let's go out on a run too. Early in the morning" Kevin patted the teen's shoulder leaning back breaking their contact beginning to feel embarrassed "Well, only if you're not too hungover"

"I'm not planning on getting hammered Kevin" Eddward frowned

"Doesn't mean you won't" The freckled teen giggled "Peer pressure my dude"

Eddward pushed off the edge rolling his eyes "I won't" he called out sinking into the water once more.

The young freckled teen felt a sense of warmth and yet nervousness as he watched the teen submerge himself. The nervousness was a good one, well, it was more like excitement. He pressed a hand to his chest peeking down into the water to see the figure of the swimmer moving gracefully around like mermaid.

It was nearly impossible for Kevin to hold back his smile.

…

Nazz had stepped out into the late afternoon quietness of the town. It was around 6 in the afternoon and she knew most kids were at home playing video games, working on homework or having dinner. Only a handful of skater teens, and trouble making kids were hanging around the park. She rode her bicycle through the west side of town where the nearest grocery store was because her mother needed a couple of ingredients for tomorrow's dinner. Her parents, Kevin's father, and even Ed's mother were all to go spend Halloween with a couple of friends doing whatever middle aged adults did for fun. Due to this, they happily allowed them to spend the day together.

She peacefully listened to music with her headphone in eyeing every street fully on her guard in case she bumped into any of the bullies. The Ed's had decided to share phone numbers among the four of them just in case they were alone and something happened. She knew that if something were to actually happen she would have to call the closest person to her…that was Eddward.

The blonde girl held the grip on the retro bike's handle thinking back on how close and comfortable Kevin was getting with the athlete. She didn't like it but…there was something developing that she knew she couldn't break. The thought scared her… _terrified_ her but she had to trust Kevin. Trust that he knew what he was doing and trust that Eddward wouldn't hurt him. At the moment, trusting the one person she absolutely hated for years was hard, laughable even but she didn't have much of a choice.

Nazz could see that Eddward was making an effort on his part this time around. The guy seemed less tense and weirdly enough…happy? Eddward had even saved her a handful of times from the J's. So she knew that if she were to get into trouble he would come.

She felt a rain drop and looked up watching the dark clouds begin to come together. She looked down at her outfit. She was wearing jeans and an oversized cardigan over a t-shirt and let out a small groan knowing she was going to get completely soaked by the rain and the feeling of wet jeans was possibly the worst sensation ever. To took a breath in as she arrived to the store and locked her bike to the metal bars.

She hurried inside but not before noticing the lovely winter jasmine's baskets hanging on each side of the store their wonderful fragrance enveloping the entrance. Nazz grabbed a basket and headed down to the fruits. Her mother had always been a creative person and love making cute things with food during holidays. She went around picking things she knew would be colorful and fit the theme.

As she was paying she noticed the down pour of rain happening out side. She huffed out disappointed she had not been able to make it back before it came down. She grabbed the two grocery bags thanking the only employee attending to a cash register and headed out. She grabbed her cardigan and placed it on top of her head holding the bags close to her chest as she made a run for her bike. She quickly opened the bike's basket to place the bags inside finding a rain jacket inside…

She paused taking it out and inspecting it. It definitely wasn't hers, and it seems too small to be her mother's… nonetheless she slipped it on with a shrug suspecting it could have been Kevin's and found that there was a small box also inside the basket as well. Now this caught her curiosity. Through the heavy rain there was no time to see what was inside so she pushed down her curiosity until she arrived home. She stuffed the bags inside and took one quick look around the nearly empty parking lot of the store. Feeling a sense of insecurity she hurriedly unlocked her bike from the bar and hopped on pulling the hood of the rain jacket up and riding off back home.

Once she arrived home she grabbed the bags and the box tightly in hand. She dropped the bags in the kitchen where her mother was preparing dinner "Is that rain jacket yours? I didn't see you leave with it?" her mother asked.

"No, I think Kevin left it on accident" she called out turning to run upstairs to her room.

"Fortunately, you would have arrived completely soaked" her mother giggled "Oh, Dinner will be ready in half an hour honey!" she poked her head to see the girl already upstairs.

"Ok, let me finish a bit of homework first and I'll help set the table!" Nazz called out shutting the door and rushing to sit on her bed. She took off the jacket and grabbed her phone to send a message to Kevin. [Hey, did you leave your rain jacket at my place?]

As she waited for a replay she opened the lid of the box and found clothing neatly wrapped in paper and a light turquoise wig… she gasped feeling the vibration of her phone in her hand.

[No I haven't? why?] Kevin had texted

The girl frowned at the text feeling a bit anxious. She knew the jacket couldn't have been Ed's and the contents in the box were mysterious. She pulled out the wig inspecting it in her hand as she turned it around and ran her fingers through the long strands of hair. It was beautiful and Nazz was certain the wig was expensive, she could tell by the fact of how well made the hair was and beautifully stylized to be wavy.

She then set it down on her bed and picked up the wrapped clothing. As she took them out she found beautiful black leggings with the design of scales, as well as a blue mermaid themed bra covered in fake pearls and gorgeous designs of silver swirls. "What?" she picked up the top and stared at it. Sure it was stunning but this outfit was completely out of her comfort zone. Second of all, what!? Where the hell had this costume come from and who had left it inside the basket of her bike. Underneath the wig were a pair of iridescent heels as well.

She picked up her phone staring down at Kevin message for a minute before she responded [Don't worry about it, I think its Ed's]

Nazz was a thousand percent sure that before she had left the house that there was no box and no jacket. She hadn't felt any weight as she rode down to the store. At least she knew that whoever dropped off the box was also the same person who left the jacket after she had entered the store. She decided to message her group of friends asking if perhaps they had dropped off the box and maybe she was just imagining things.

They quickly responded that the group had indeed decided to dress up as mermaids but none of them had sent her the box having the impression that she was going to spend the day with Kevin and Ed. [Since, you have the costume, might as well hang out with us for bit!] one of them messaged in the chat [Yeah! Come on Nazz live a little. You'll look great!] another sent. [One of us! One of us! One of us!] another chanted.

[Maybe, I don't know girls] Nazz looked at the costume. First of all, although it appeared fishy she had to also see that whoever sent it meant well… they had left the jacket for her. She looked back inside the box and noticed a slip of paper on the edge of it and picked it up.

 _Make sure you wear this tomorrow, and have fun_

What? The girl was so confused and she didn't even recognize the handwriting at all either. She bit her lip looking at the group chat pressuring her to hang out with them to trick or treat for a bit. She sighed looked back to the note…[Maybe…it not that bad of an idea…] she messaged back still uncertain. It had been a while since she had been able to properly hang out with her girls. She had been busy with Quiz Bowl and the whole gang thing. [Ok, I'll go out with you guys for an hour or so] she stated immediately flooded with cheerful spams.

"…Only one hour… what could go wrong, right?" she picked up the top staring at it thinking maybe it had been her mother...But what about the rain jacket? "…Mom would freak if she saw me wearing this" she mumbled out.

…

Saturday morning came and Kevin woke up with having little to no sleep that night. He could probably estimate he had gotten four to three hours of sleep? He wasn't sure and as he looked in the mirror he saw how sickly he looked. Far more pale and dark eye bags…he groaned walking over to the bathroom in his oversized shirt and boxers.

The coolness of the shower splashing his skin refreshed him and most definitely woke him up. He had been anxious all night about the fact that Eddward was going to go to the gang's party alone. Sure, it wasn't the guy's first time but this time it was different. Sam knew and Jimmy was dangerous…. He'd wish there was something he could do to guarantee that the night would go smoothly.

He breathed slowly stepping back into his room after the shower looking at the time on his phone. It was still early and his father had for once actually taken a day off. Kevin decided to quickly dress and headed down stairs taking it upon himself to make breakfast for his father.

He wasn't the best cook there was, but little Kevin defiantly knew out to cook great scrambled eggs and bacon. As soon as the bacon started sizzling on the pan his father came out clearly right out of bed. The man was going through a phase that Kevin found hilarious, kind of like a midlife crisis but instead he was embracing his oldness by growing out a beard and taking advantage of dad jokes. Though his father's beard was a stubble at the moment.

"Morning dad" Kevin called out taking out two plates and placing the eggs and bacon.

"Morning Kiddo" Tom rubbed at his sleepy face with a smile as Kevin placed his plate in front of him "Thanks" he watched Kevin return to our coffee into a mug.

"Its fine, you worked late last night to get today off didn't you?" the small teen chuckled placing the coffee on the table too.

"Yeah…I'm beat" The Barr man took a drink of his coffee and hummed in pleasure "Great stuff"

Kevin picked up his own cup of coffee as well "I think I'm in love"

Kevin's father let out a heartfelt laugh and when he calmed down he raised an eyebrow side eyeing the teen "Speaking of which…"

Kevin looked up stopping in the middle of taking a bite from his eggs. _Oh No_ … he knew that look "Daaaad, no please don't start" Kevin whined slumping down in his chair dramatically.

"What?" Tom let out another laugh "Can't a father be interested in their only child's life…love life to be specific" The big man gave a small nudge to his son's shoulder "You spend too much time locked up in that head of yours kid. It's great that you're taking school seriously and all but you need to live a little buddy. Going out on a date or two won't hurt you"

Kevin took another sip of his coffee not able to look up "Maybe I'm fine being single dad"

The Barr man tried to regain eye contact with Kevin "Look Kevin, if…if it's a _boy_ you like-"

"PFFFFT WOAH!" Kevin spit the beverage out interrupting his father words. "NO!" the image of raven hair and intense blue eyes popped into his head for a split second before he shoved them down.

Another roar of laughter from Kevin's father filled their small dinning space. The man handed Kevin a napkin "As I was trying to say, if it's a boy you like I want you to know I'm fine with it. I just want you to be happy Kevin"

With a cherry red face Kevin stuttered out "I don't l-like any b-boys _or_ girls, I'm perfectly fine being single and hanging out with my friends" Kevin looked up to his father's tired face "…and I _am_ happy dad"

Tom gave a warm smile "If you say so Kiddo" he picked up the fork and began eating "I'm just saying if your mind is always in a narrow focus you might miss finding the right one for you"

The freckled teen took a bite of the bacon "I'll think about it…" he muttered out.

…

Eddward was beyond sore in the morning having had countless fights the previous night in the arena. Sam had gone ruthless for some peculiar reason that night. He had let Eddward be the only fighter that night against big guys from Walnut Creek and Lemon Brook. Eddward out of spite and determination to be ready for the following night persevered through each fight trying his best to strategize a game plan to avoid getting big hits. By the last three fights the athlete was beyond exhausted and although he won all of the fights, he left the arena with a soaring headache, a bloodied nose and bruises all over his back.

Thankfully Ed had met up with him on his bike half way through town. Eddward had slumped over the other's back and taken off his hat to let the cool hair calm his headache. The tall brunette teen had carried the other inside on his back strong enough to easily hold him up with one arm while the other hand opened the door. Ed had provided help with the first aid, but Eddward needed rest above all else if he was to be fully on guard the next day.

The taller teen had spent some of the night in Eddward's home waiting for the time to head out to pick him up and ordered some food. So when Eddward had stepped out of the shower he had been delighted to see the table full of take out and gladly wolfed it all down. Ed had spent the night in the guest bedroom and in the morning they had spent their breakfast going over who was going to be at the party and what would happen if there were any targets held. If there were any targets involved their plan was to have Ed would head down and meet the kids after Eddward would secretly free them. If there were any troublesome complications Kevin would call the cops and hopefully Eddward would leave way before the police would show up at the cabin.

It was after their breakfast that the two Ed's parted. Ed had gone off to pick Kevin up and would later in the day pick up Nazz from her home. Eddward had gone off to take care of some business Sam had assigned him close to Walnut Creek. He groaned had he headed onto the highway clutching at his side that was still aching despite having taken pain medication.

He had called Ms. Adams to excuse himself for his shift lying he had woken up ill and the poor woman had gladly given him the day off saying she was planning on closing early anyways. He felt bad lying to the woman but he really didn't have the mental capacity to go into work that day being still exhausted from the fights.

When he was headed back to Peach Creek in the afternoon he had decided to call Kevin to have something other than the aching pain of his sore body and the party. Kevin blissfully unaware of his injuries talked to give about the board games Ed was setting out for the three of them to play and the list of movies they planned to watch. It was beyond endearing to hear some excitement in the ginger's voice though Eddward could detect some nervousness in his words. He would make sure everything would go smoothly.

Once he arrived home Eddward decided to take a nap in the four hours he had before getting ready to go. Thankfully he didn't dream instead warmth consumed him as he fell asleep from memories of the freckled teen having slept next to him days before. The sensation of the other's close presence still lingered in his mind well after that night and had helped him sleep.

…

Nazz had told Kevin and Ed she would be out for hour with her friends and although they were worried about it he convinced them they would fine in a group. Her parents had long since left leaving her alone as she stood in front of her bedroom mirror looking at the costume with an anxious expression. The outfit was beyond too revealing for what she was comfortable in although it was beyond gorgeous. She tied her hair back and placed on the wig cap carefully placing the wig on next and securing it with some bobby pins. The beautiful wavy turquoise hair was long enough to flow down her back and make her feel a bit more comfortable. When he looked back in the mirror she gasp feeling like a completely different person, now she was sure no one would recognize her from her usual cardigans and long skirts nerdy look.

Feeling a bit more confident in herself she went off into the bathroom to do some makeup. She had placed some light natural orange eyeshadow to make her blue eyes pop and placed on a blue lip color as well as a fake golden moon on her forehead and various gold and silver ones on her arms. It had taken a long time to get ready but once she looked at her final product she was more than happy and comfortable with the overall look. She didn't need to sorry tonight because no one in town would recognize her and t the though she giggled. She couldn't wait to show Kevin.

Nazz grabbed a black cardigan nonetheless just in case the night got too cold and her phone. She rode her bike to her friend's home nearby where she met up with her girls who were in similar outfits though in all honesty weren't as pretty decorated as the one she was wearing. She secretly thanked the mystery person for giving her such a pretty costume. She would have to find out who it was after this, but for now she enjoyed the hour she had with her friends as she went around the neighborhood collecting candy and being hit on by some guys.

The night had gone pleasantly well, and the girl was having a lot of fun but once her hour was up she apologized to her friends. Although they wanted her to stay longer she knew it wasn't safe for her. It was 8 in the evening and she knew she should definitely be headed back to Ed's. She grabbed her bike and called Ed to tell him she was on her way and not to worry about picking her up.

As the girl rode through middle of town between the west and the east she heard a rumble of a car close behind her. She huffed moving out of the street and onto the sidewalk but the car stayed close to her. Ok…she was starting to get an anxious feeling.

Gaining speed she tried to lose the car but this seemed to only provoke the driver as they finally decided to stop right in front of her knocking over a trash can and nearly running her over. Her bike hit the side of the car causing her to fall over onto the ground dropping. She immediately stood up trying to make a run for it but running in the heels was hard since she wasn't used to wearing such high heels. She felt an harsh hand grab her by the arm forcibly bringing her back. "Make sure it's actually her" a voice she recognized so well asked walked towards the teen who held her captive.

Jimmy was wearing a black suit and covered in skeleton makeup with his hair slicked back. At the realization she stepped hard on the guy's foot letting her go from the pain of the heel. She heard Jimmy close behind her yelling threats as she turned a corner desperately wanted to get to a public area to hide. Jimmy however was way too fast for her and she was easily caught once again. The blonde picked her up covering her mouth with a white rag and at the first smell Nazz knew what was about to happen.

She prayed Kevin and Ed would find her before anything horrible happened…then she lost consciousness.

…

It had been thirty minutes from the time Nazz had called and she still hadn't arrived to Ed's. It was then that Kevin felt a bad feeling in his gut as he looked outside Ed's living room window. "She should have been here already… I'm going to call her" Kevin picked up his phone worriedly. Ed sat on the couch with his big ginger cat in lap. He pet and cooed at her waiting patiently as Kevin made his call.

"…she didn't pick up" Kevin announced feeling his chest tighten. He called again and waited with a fingernail caught in between his teeth. When the girl didn't pick up again he shoved his phone into his pocket "I'm going to go look for her, she's not answering her phone" he rapidly said putting on his shoes and grabbing his sweater.

"Wait I'll go to" Ed quickly put his own shoes and jacket on and rushing to grab his bike. Kevin sat behind feeling unable to breathe. He had a feeling something was going to happen, but he figured that if something was going to happen it was towards Eddward.

They headed towards the direction that Kevin knew Nazz's friends lived hoping to bump into her. In the meantime Kevin continued to call with no luck of the girl answering. The arrived at Nazz's neighborhood where they found the girls friends and asked them if Nazz was perhaps still with them. Worryingly so they shook their heads with a frown and told them the direction she had head.

Ed and Kevin rode off once more hoping that the worst wasn't happening. Passing through the middle of town as Kevin was calling again they heard it…Nazz's ring tone sounded loud and clear and Kevin immediately turned jumping off the bike and running towards the sound. He stopped horrified to find his best friend's bike down on the ground, and her cardigan as well as her phone spilled from the basket. "NAZZ!" Kevin yelled with his heart in his throat. He knew he should have picked her up himself. He knew they shouldn't have let her out of their sight. "NAZZ!" he screamed out again running around the area hoping to hear her voice or have her jump out from a hiding spot but she never did.

Ed was right behind phone in hand as he stopped Kevin from running away further. He placed a hand onto the smaller teen's shoulder and gave him a firm look "Eddward! Are you still home?" he asked with a harsh voice. "Something happened to Nazz, me and Kevin are heading over to your place right now"

Kevin felt like he was about to hyperventilate but he gathered his shit together by taking a deep breath and clutching his hands into fists. They both ran back to the spot Nazz's bike lied and Kevin picked up her phone and cardigan carefully placing them back in the basket and rode the bike beside Ed to Eddward's.

The moment they arrived, Kevin rushed inside the house to find a half dressed Eddward. "I'm going with you" he announced resolutely to the confused shirtless athlete.

"Wait, what happened? I was under the impression Nazz was with the both of you" Eddward asked then looked behind Kevin too see Ed closing the door "Ed, you were supposed pick them up"

"He was, but Nazz decided to go out with her friends for a little bit" Kevin stepped back in front of Eddward to get his attention "We told her it was fine because she was with a group and apparently she was wearing a wig so we didn't think she would be recognized or harmed in a group. But when she was heading to Ed's I'm guessing she must have been jumped" Kevin was starting to feel that sense of panic hit him once again.

Eddward moved closer placing a hand of the Kevin's arm and gave him a light squeeze "…I'll go get her back alright"

"I'm going with you!" Kevin fists tighten "I'm _not_ going to stay here waiting to hear what happened to my best friend"

"No, Kevin. You can't come with me. In fact neither of you can. I'll go alone just as planned and bring her back" Eddward firmly held onto Kevin arm.

"NO!" Kevin yelled out angrily "What if something terrible happens to her because I was stupid enough to let her be alone. She's my best friend I can't leave her alone!"

"…You are _not_ going. It's too dangerous for either of you. That is my final say Kevin" Eddward lowered his eyebrows angrily down with a frown. "She'll still be fine by the time I get there. I'll bring her safely back to you. Just stay put here until I get back"

Kevin shoved the Eddward's hand away and walked out to the back yard angrily. Eddward turned sadly to Ed "I better finish dressing" he headed up stairs to grab a black dress shirt and tie to go with his black jeans and a black suit jacket. For some reason Sam had decided certain people close to him would wear semi-formal wear. The raven haired teen supposed it was a way to show their status among the other ranks in the gang. The teen had slicked his hair to the side as another awful requirement of Sam. He grabbed his beanie and started at it for a moment…Sam had told him to leave it behind but he felt uncomfortable even though he would take it off during fights. He decided to take it and leave it in the car and reached to pick up a masquerade mask with a pretty gold design on one side and shoved it into his pocket heading down stairs.

When he stepped into the living room he saw Kevin with crossed arms and a frown by the front door though when the boy looked up he swore he saw a sudden rush of red flood the other's face but Eddward didn't stop and stare. Instead he looked over to Ed who was beside him "I'll call you if anything happens…look after him"

Ed gave a pat to his arm and smiled nodding. "I'll watch him like a hawk"

As Eddward grabbed his keys and phone before heading to the front door though he stopped in front of Kevin "Everything will be alright…ok?"

Kevin uncrossed his arm and instead of glaring at him like he did 15 minutes ago, he looked up with a frown and worried expression "Be careful" the small teen reached out to envelop him in a huge burying his freckled face on his chest " _please_ bring her back"

"I'll make sure of it" Eddward smiled wrapping an arm around the teen's shoulder and with his other hand he reassuringly caressed Kevin's arm. After a short lived moment he pulled the teen away "I'll see the two of you later"

"Good Luck Double D" Ed called out and gave then a look from where he had been silently observing.

Eddward ignored it patting Kevin head and quickly stepping out and leaving them alone. As he started the car he frowned once more with irritation…oh was the princess going to get lectured the moment he saw her.

…

The raven haired teen parked his car some distance away from the cabin wanting not to be spotted when he left with Nazz. The woods were colder than the town, and the sky had officially darkened leaving the night in the quiet sounds among the trees and bushes. From the distance he was at he could still hear the music loudly, and let out a groan knowing he would get a headache from the loudness. He slipped on the masquerade mask leaving behind his hat. Eddward really did hate having to go out without it, but he couldn't disobey Sam's fashion orders. Shoving his hand in his jeans pockets he made his way through the woods hearing laughter and yelling as he approached closer.

When he arrived, he saw the cabin completely packed with gang members. A lot of the members were outside playing games with red plastic cups while other drank directly from bottles. As he slipped inside he was greeted with flashing red and blue lights, Jason Derulo blasting on the speakers and sweaty bodies grinding against each other. Most of the girls were in skin tight outfits leaving little to the imagination and guys in various ridiculous costumes. Eddward maneuvered through the crowd wondering where they had taken the girl. He knew she had to be there somewhere he just had to figure it out. The basement was his first instinct but as he approached he bumped into Jimmy guarding the door with a drink in hand. "Captain!" the blonde smirked lifting his drink "Glad to see you here, have a drink" Jimmy grabbed a can of beer and handed it to Eddward.

"Where's Sam?" Eddward asked not wanting to be suspicious trying to force his way into the basement.

Jimmy moved to clearly block the door better and scanned the room "Not sure, last I saw him he was headed that way" He pointed in a general area on his right "That was ten minutes ago, he could be anywhere by now" he chuckled out placing the cup to his lips and shrugged. "Don't worry about business stuff, drink and enjoy Captain. I have a special game planned for later tonight" he smirked devilishly.

"What game?" Eddward raised an eyebrow.

"Secret, But it'll be fun for everyone here" Jimmy leaned back against the door crossing his arms.

Alright, Eddward was sure the girl was downstairs for sure and any other target they may have captured as well. He would have to either wait for the teen to be distracted or sneak inside another way. Without another word Eddward headed in the direction Jimmy had pointed him towards then made his way back outside. He followed the crowd pretending to observe the teens playing flip cup but he scanned the cabin for any windows or doors and found a basement door locked with a chain. He let out a growl annoyed that Jimmy was smart enough to be cautious with not letting the targets get away.

Eddward made his way back inside standing near the stairs that lead to the second floor trying to come up with a way to distract Jimmy. Some tipsy girl in a fairy outfit bumped into him and started giggling followed by a handful of other girls all dressed as either black cats or in outrageous rave outfits. Great…now he had to deal with these demons.

…

Nazz opened her eyes slowly looking around the dimly lit space she was in. As she quickly remembered being ambushed by Jimmy she gasped sitting up in fear and on guard. She found herself locked inside a cage…she looked to her left where another two other cages containing two other targets each. In one were two boys and in another where two girls both with terrified expression as they watched her. She didn't recognize any of them but frowned. She heard a loud remix of sexy back playing upstairs and through the small crack in the door saw flashing lights. How long had she been knocked out? Hours? She tried to look for any indication of what time it was but found no window.

She looked onto the other teen and crawled the little space to get closer the cage next to hers "Are you guys ok?" she asked worryingly.

The two boys nodded "Are you?" one of them asked "When they carried you down here you were completely passed out"

"Yeah, don't worry about me" she breathed in looking around "My friends will be here for us soon, so stay calm until then ok?"

"You're friends?" one of the girls whimpered out

She nodded with a warm smile "They'll rescue us" she really hoped she could do something about the situation but being locked inside a cage limited her. She looked around the room hoping she could somehow push her way around to find something to attempt picking at the lock. Sadly she saw nothing small and sharp making her frustrated. She knew Eddward would be here, but she wondered if he was aware of that. Maybe it was he who placed the outfit for her… she growled thinking on the thought. Damn it she had been stupid to put it on, though it seemed so harmless at the time. Why would they leave the outfit for sabotage and the jacket for her protection from simple rain?

About an hour after she had woken up she noticed that there seemed to be bunch of boxes on the other side of the room. She decided to start kicking at the cage in hope it would fall over and she could roll but as she was about to make the cage fall someone opened the door and she held her breath looking up. It was someone tall but she didn't get too see the face until the guy took off their beautifully golden metallic masquerade mask.

Sam…of course it was Sam. She growled kicking hard at the cage. "Such a ruckus…at least your finally awake princess" Sam crouched down looking her in the eyes for a moment "Will you be good?"

"Like hell I will!" Nazz snarled backing away as far as the small space would let her.

"A true siren I see" Sam chuckled "Looks like I picked the right costume for you…you look absolutely stunning" he cooed looking her up and down.

With a wide mouth she covered their chest with her crossed arms "Y-Y-YOU!" She yelped out with a cherry red face "You set me up! You're the reason why I'm here!" she spat out kicking at the cage harshly hoping her heel would stab the bastard.

"Actually quite the opposite my dear" Sam reached into a pocket of his suit "I left you this costume so you wouldn't be here…obviously that was a failure because Jimmy recognized you somehow" he wiggled keys in his hand.

"…what?" Nazz asked confused looking straight at the dark eyes. "Why?"

Sam smirked with a shrug. He opened the cage and stretched a hand to her "I seem to be rather fond of you…despite the fact that you're against me. I blame your exquisite attractiveness" he chuckled out grabbing her wrists and pulling her out.

She yelped out at the force and immediately tried to pull away from his hold "Bullshit!" she scowled.

The tall blonde smirked down "Have you never had another male fancy you?"

"T-That's not important!" she pulled once more her eyes wide not believing what she was hearing "I hate you!"

"No matter" Sam continued to grin "Now listen to me carefully if you want to get out of here safely"

Nazz stayed silent conflicted if she should trust. It had probably been hours since she was brought here and no sign of any of the boys. She was beginning to feel a sense of anger towards Eddward who was probably upstairs enjoying his night. "I will gather everyone from the back and grab their attention. See that door over there" he pointed towards a basement door slightly above "I just opened it, everyone still thinks it's closed. Just pull at the chain and you're out. Run through the straight you'll eventually make it out"

"Wait a minute. I won't leave without them" Nazz pointed out to the kids looking at them confused.

Sam shook his head slowly with a smirk "I can't do that sweet heart" he chuckled out "These brats are targets who tried to defy me"

"So am I!" Nazz yelped out "Let them out now! I'm not leaving without them"

"Princess…don't make me regret being merciful with you" Sam scowled pushing the girl aside and opening the two cages. "You brats are lucky tonight. I'll go after you if anyone of you dare say _anything_ about tonight. HEAR ME?" Sam yelled out intimidating the kids who only quickly nodded horrified. He turned to look at Nazz with a stern look "Don't push it love" he pointed a finger in her direction and headed up stairs.

With a triumphant smile she nodded over to the others who gather all close to the basement door waiting to hear silence.

…

It had been over an hour now and he had yet to distract Jimmy. The damn brat was persistent on staying in place no matter what chick he sent to bait him. He had tried to send Johnny to fetch Jimmy too but Johnny was completely drunk off his ass. Damn it, a fight was not something he wanted to start again, but he needed a big commotion to grab Jimmy's full attention. Eddward walked around the room looking for a specific person who was always the start of every commotion at Sam's parties.

There, a short leather jacket guy with slicked back dark hair dressed to be Elvis Presley was trying to flirt with a tall red head dressed in a leopard one piece. Eddward groaned rolling his eyes…he really hated having to see or even interact with the idiot but he had no other choice.

"Hey baby, I lost my number can I borrow yours?" the short teen wrapped an arm around the girls waist pulling her in the girl simply pushed away irritated.

Eddward just knew what he had to do to provide the teen, it was far too easy. Smoothly he took a sip from his cup and walked past pretending to completely ignore them bumping into the short teen who stumbled forward ungracefully. "HEY, watch it buddy!" The shorter teen yelped out turning around to see Eddward.

Eddward continued to ignore him heading towards the center of the room. "HEY!" he heard the teen yell out angrily "Mother fucking Double D! I'm talking to you fucking bastard!" there, he had gotten his attention easily.

The raven haired turned around and looked past pretending not to see the smaller teen "…I thought I heard something" he murmured turning back around.

"Don't you fucking look down on me asshole!" The teen grabbed at Eddward's suit jacket and pulled him down.

"Oh… technically I have to, Eddy" Eddward smirked eyes going cold once meeting the other's dark eyes.

"Mother fucker! Think you can come here and fucking ruin my night!" Eddy spat out drunk trying to land a punch.

"Then perhaps, you should leave before I ruin it further" Eddward chuckled out as the girl Eddy had been with pushed the short teen away and huddled closer to him. The raven haired wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder who swooned at the touch.

"I was here first dipshit!" Eddy growled pulling away the girl "Your ass doesn't even like g—" Eddward punched Eddy in the face before he could finish his sentence.

Ah, now he had everyone's attention…"FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" Began the chanting from the crowd. Eddy jumped right up trying to punch at Eddward with all his force but the taller teen easily avoided all the teen's hits.

"Damn it Eddy! When the fuck are you gonna learn you don't stand a chance against our captain!" he heard Jimmy's voice yell out from the crowd. "Give it rest!" Great, Eddward grinned out at his success, but as he tried to disappear among the crowd Eddy grabbed his jacket and harshly shoved him back into the small circle they had formed.

"Want me to remind you why daddy gave you that fucking scar!" Eddy muttered out angrily shoving his finger straight at Eddward scar.

The athlete felt rage bubble in his stomach and he stood up launching himself on Eddy. The teen just had a way of getting on his nerves. Eddy knew to too much about him and the bastard always found ways of using it against him. Oh, but did he have another thing coming. By the time Jimmy decided to finally full Eddward away he had left Eddy with a painful swollen cheek and a bloodied nose and mouth. "Don't you _ever_ forget I'm above you in ranks, your nothing but a little _bitch_ " Eddward spat out with rage, his head pounding from the anger.

When he saw Jimmy taking away Eddy outside he remembered about the unguarded door and immediately turned to a make a run for it. He ran down the steps only to find emptied cages… he scanned the door and found the back door to be opened now and he swore under his breath. Eddward ran out of back door seeing Sam talking to a group at the front of the cabin. As he was turning he felt his phone vibrate and he pulled it out seeing Ed's number pop up. "What is it?" he asked in a rush scanning the area for any signs of where Nazz had run off to.

"Double D, you need to get out of there fast! The police are on their way" Ed frantically yelled out.

"What! I told you guys it was our last option!" Eddward hissed still looking around.

"It wasn't us! But I saw them driving towards your direction! You need to get out of there" Ed anxiously yelled out as Kevin tried to ask about Nazz in the background.

"I can't Ed! I haven't found Nazz yet. She ran off somewhere" Eddward frowned clutching his fists.

"If you don't find her the police will, come back before they get you Double D" Ed pleaded

"I can't…I can't just leave her behind, I can't show up without Nazz!" Eddward yelled out hanging up the phone and turning to hear Jimmy angrily come beside Sam and whisper something in his ear. Sam nodded and Jimmy gathered everyone's attention.

"I meant for this to be later tonight but five little sheep have escaped from their cages" Jimmy began his announcement "I have a game for you all to participate if you wish to" he chuckled out "Anyone who finds the escaped sheep and bring them back to us will be graciously rewarded by Sam!" Jimmy yelled out "They are running around somewhere in the area, shouldn't be too hard to find them. Good luck!" Jimmy pulled out a starting pistol out and shooting up to the sky.

As soon as the pistol was fired mouth almost everyone in the cabin spread throughout the area, most running into the woods. Eddward did the same following the crowd and hoping he wouldn't be spotted by either Sam or Jimmy. Right when he entered the woods, Eddward separated from the group and ran as fast of possible praying to find Nazz before anyone else.

…

At one point one of the targeted boys grabbed one of the girls and ran off on their separate direction. As annoying as the act had been to Nazz she believed they had been a couple and now only hoped they would get out safely. The other two followed her close behind, but it wasn't until they heard a pistol and loud roar from a crowd that the three of them felt chills run down their spines.

The boy ended up running ahead of them with a panic, leaving her with the girl. Nazz kept her close and not only 5 minutes after the shot they heard they began to hear others running around the woods and close yelling calling out them. Nazz could tell the girl was terrified so she grabbed her wrist pulling her towards a denser part of the forest.

The night was colder now and walking through the forest was beginning to become daunting. A few feet after they heard a group get neat and Nazz took the initiative to hide behind the thick trees trying to be as silent as they possibly could. Nazz held her breath only focusing on the footsteps from multiple people. The twigs on the ground would crack from their steps and as they got closer the group divided itself leaving two guys. Nazz spotted one of them walk close to the tree the other was hiding behind and she signaled her to hide around as the guy walked pasted it. She as well moved around the tree as the two of them lit the area with their phones walking past.

As Nazz watched the two walked past her she tripped and fell back hitting something hard. She felt an arm grab her arm turning her around and seeing some built guy with a triumphant smile on his face. Nazz heard the girl scream and run off being chased by another. Quickly she pulled the hand that grabbed her and bit the guy so hard she felt blood slip into her mouth.

The bulky guy yelped shoving her away and Nazz took this opportunity to sprint at full force. After a couple of minutes of running she heard faint yelling from behind her. She looked back seeing if there was anyone following close behind but she fell to miss the drop that was in front of her. Her heel caught against a rock making her trip and roll down. She rolled on to her side groaning out in pain with eyes shut tight. Slowly she sat up looking up to see the distance that she had fell from, the drop hadn't been as bad but she knew she would not be able to climb it alone.

Nazz pulled off the wig along with the cap that was completely a mess and dirtied. She undid her hair feeling a sense of freedom from the release and lay down for a moment catching her breath. Just how deep was this forest? She whimpered trying to move her right foot, realizing it was sprained.

Jumping at the sound of footsteps she tried to place herself close to the dirt hoping the person wouldn't spot her, because if they did she wouldn't be able to run anymore. She looked up seeing a black clothed figure looking around the area. They bend down picking up the heel that had made trip and looked over the edge seemingly in concern ""Nazz!" the familiar voice of Eddward Vincent called out.

Nazz's eyes went wide as she slowly lifted herself up to get a better look at the figure above. When her eyes adjusted onto the person she recognized Eddward right away…although he wasn't wearing his famous black striped beanie. In a moment of conflict she wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or terrified but she trusted Kevin enough to out to the other "Vincent! I'm down here" a sob caught in her throat.

Eddward released a breath of relief hearing the girl's voice respond a hand ran through his hair as he looked around the area. "I'm coming down to get you, hold on" Eddward held the heel tightly in his hand as he lowered himself and cautiously slid down the drop. When he made it all the way down he could see the girl on the ground with a frightened expression. The poor girl was a complete mess, her mouth covered in some blood, face and outfit covered in mud and scrapes all over her exposed arms. Eddward took off the mask and gingerly moved towards the frightened girl with hands up "I'm here to help you" he whispered out softly.

Nazz finally leaned closer letting out a sob "Damn it…I could just hug you right now" her tears finally fell down her dirtied cheeks. She pressed her face to Eddward's shoulder letting her tears freely escape as she held onto his jacket.

Eddward awkwardly wrapped an arm around the girl and with the other held on of her arms giving her a small squeeze. "…" he let her cry for a few more moments before lightly pushing her away to make eye contact with her "Nazz…We need to go _now_ "

The girl nodded wiping away her tears and let the raven haired teen pull her up to her feet. "There were four other kids with me"

"Where are they?" Eddward asked looking over her for any major injuries.

"I…I don't know they all ran off somewhere in the woods" She hissed when trying to take a step forward.

Eddward sighed shaking his head "There's nothing I can do to help them. Right now I need to get you out of here"

"But we can't just leave them" Nazz looked up feeling a sense of guilt at the thought.

"We have to" Eddward firmly stated "The police are on their way here as we speak. They'll be the ones to rescue them. Now, can you walk?"

Nazz shook her head "I think I sprained my ankle when I fell. It hurts a lot"

"It's no wonder, what are you even wearing?" Eddward held her shoulders pushing her back to look at her outfit and raised the heel he held in his hand.

"Don't look!" Nazz wrapped her arms around her chest cherry faced "Doesn't matter what I'm wearing"

Rolling his eyes Eddward took his jacket off and handed it to Nazz as well as the other heel. She took them hesitantly and pulled them on. "Alright time to go, I'll carry you" Eddward turned around pulling the girl onto his back hoisting her up.

"WOAH" Nazz yelped holding on tightly. She couldn't believe Eddward had actually come to her rescue. Maybe…just maybe Kevin was right. She looked up to see a small pale scar on the teen's forehead coming up into his hairline…"ouch" she mumbled feeling an ache on her entire leg.

"I didn't take you as someone who liked to wear such revealing outfits, Van Bartonschmeer" Eddward teased trying to get the girl distracted from the pain of her ankle. At the same time he was searching for a way to quickly get to his car.

"Ugh" Nazz rolled her eyes thinking back at what Sam had confessed to her once more feeling embarrassed "…it was my friends who told me to, ok?"

"Oh? Which reminds me, what were you thinking running off and completely ignoring my demand of staying _safely_ indoors?" Eddward spat out in irritation.

"I wanted to go out with my friends! Is that a crime? I was wearing makeup and a wig for crying out loud I never thought someone would recognize me!" Nazz retaliated in her defense.

"Yeah? Well look where you are now because of that little mishap of yours. Someone did recognize you"

" _I left you this costume so you wouldn't be here…obviously that was a failure because Jimmy recognized you somehow"_

"It must have been my bike…I think jimmy saw it driving by" Nazz slouched frowning "…Everything was fine"

"Well, I hope you've learned from your mistake. Something worse could have happened to you tonight" Eddward lowered himself when hearing faint voices.

"Have you learned?" The blonde girl held on tighter with a frown.

"I'm here now, am I not?"

"Careful Vincent, you'll lead me to think you actually care" she chuckled out shaking her head.

After a moment of silence Eddward finally responded "Kevin would kill me if something happened to you…he…really loves you" he spoke in a low voice.

"…" Nazz stayed silent listening to the low tone the teen had answered her. "We basically grew up together… our parents were high school friends" she shrugged "Guess we've been through a lot, and even though we didn't become best friends until high school…we've always had a sense of being siblings so, yeah we love each other a hell of a lot"

"…It's good the both of you are so overprotective of each other" Eddward ended the conversation.

After a long pause Nazz felt uncomfortable by the silence and decided to start another one curious about the scar on the teen's forehead. "So…is that little scar the reason why you wear your hat on 24/7? What a disappointing reveal"

Eddward growled out "Drop it"

"…ok" she slouched against his back once more deciding to look around them in hopes to find the area clear, but she could definitely hear voices yelling out.

After about 20 minutes later they finally made it to where Eddward's car had been. The raven haired teen left Nazz in the passenger seat as he made his way around the drivers. Before he got on he spotted a note on his…flat tire? Eddward ripped the note off where disgustingly messy handwriting scribbled out.

 _My revenge Double DonkeyDick_

 _-Eddy_

Eddward stared between the note and the tire…then looked at the other front tire that was also flat "You got to be _shitting_ me" he hissed out kicking at the tire and throwing away the irritating note. He angrily pulled his phone out and called Ed.

"Double D!" Ed called out in relief "Are you ok? Did you find Nazz?"

"Yes, Ed, we're both fine…" Eddward ran a hand through his hair "Ed…can you guys find a way to get here? Fucking Eddy screwed with my car"

"Eddy…" Ed sadly repeated the teen's name "Yeah no problem… Kevin says we can convince he's dad to let us borrow his truck"

"Alright, we'll meet you half way" Eddward hung up taking a moment to breathe before he heard police sirens not too far off. "Shit"

He went round the car and pulled Nazz out carrying her in his arms instead this time "My car's not functional, we're going meet up with Ed and Kevin instead"

The girl nodded holding onto the raven haired teen once more turning her head to the sounds of sirens "It's the police" she whispered out horrified knowing if they were caught they were most likely to also be considered as participating members.

"We need to get out of here fast" he hoisted her up holding her tight and started running.

"What about your car? If there is anything back at the cabin the police will find you" Nazz asked with some worry.

"I'll deal with it later" Eddward muttered out angrily thinking about the consequences that were to come if anyone else found his car. He would have to come back for it immediately.

The girl looked back with a frown seeing the black car disappear. "fine"

After nearly thirty minutes of walking they found the exit of the woods where the rocky road curved leading into a highway further down. Eddward placed Nazz on the ground and called Ed taking a seat on the ground as well. Thankfully Kevin had managed to convince his dad to lend them the truck without being seen by Nazz's parents. Tom had given them a look but just shook his head giving them the keys with a smirk.

Another twenty minutes of waiting and finally the run down truck came into view. "Oh, thank god" Nazz sighed out being lifted to her feet by Eddward. Nazz turned to the raven haired teen with a conflicted look "Vincent…" she awkwardly started "…t-thank you…for helping me out tonight" the girl quickly looked away crossing her arms.

Eddward smirked letting out a breath with a slight shake of his head as he saw Ed poke his head out through the window waving at them. Nazz waved back with less energy but nonetheless spared a huge grin on her face.

As soon as they stopped in front of them, Kevin jumped out and gathered the girl into a hug slightly picking her up until he saw she was in pain. "What are you wearing?" Kevin looked at her top underneath Eddward's jacket making Nazz blush covering herself up more and muttered out angrily.

Ed embraced Eddward as well, actually picking him up and swung the teen around "Ed!" Eddward called out firmly yet in a whine as the other continued to hug him.

"You did great Double D" Ed smiled finally letting the other down and looking over to Kevin and Nazz who were laughing next to the truck.

Eddward shrugged giving a pat on Ed's shoulder "Come on, let's go home"

Ed helped Nazz get inside the truck and it was then Kevin turned to Eddward with a soft smile on his face "Thank you" The raven haired teen only smiled. He really didn't feel the need to be thanked, he owed it to everyone. Then Kevin stepped closer pulling Eddward down and wrapping his small arms around the others shoulder tightly "I'm so glad you're ok too" he whispered out in relief placing a quick peck on Eddward's temple before letting go and stepping back. "I'll help you with the tires ok?"

Eddward simply nodded feeling a nervousness consume his chest. He, Nazz and Kevin got inside the truck while Ed rode in the back. They rode back to Eddward's home in silence but pleasantly so. Nazz fell asleep on Kevin's shoulder as the raven haired teen carried red cheeks the entire time looking out the window.

Once they had arrived at Eddward's home, Ed helped Nazz clean up and fix up her foot with the directions of Eddward. Kevin helped Eddward carry the spare tires that the athlete stored in the garage onto the truck as well as various tools. After they had made sure Nazz would be alright they went off to fix the car hoping the police hadn't found it yet. Kevin frowned looking over to the raven haired teen with a frown. The teen looked utterly exhausted and stressed, and it made him question what would happen if Eddward was caught in all of this. With that though in mind, he drove faster back to the north woods.

When they had arrived there were no signs of anyone else finding the car thankfully, however the police sirens were still around the area. Kevin and Eddward tried working quickly to replace the tires with no exchange of conversation as they were too focused. The night was colder and windy now in the late hours of the night. Kevin could notice the other begin to get a runny nose because he wasn't wearing a jacket and at one point he wanted to lend him his sweater but Eddward refused. When they replaced the second tire they both sighed in relief falling back on the ground and giving each other a high five. With that little rest they stood off and placed the tools and tires in Eddward's car. In his father's truck Kevin followed Eddward out of the woods and into the highway leading to Peach Creek.

Upon entering the west side of town Kevin and Eddward split up. Kevin went to drop off the truck at the party where the adults were still preoccupied with chatter. Picking up Ed's bike that they had left waiting there he rode back to Eddward's. Eddward closed the garage door with Ed and Nazz still inside drinking the athlete's famous drink. The raven haired teen decided to sit on the steps outside waiting for the ginger teen to come down the neighborhood street…he wouldn't be relaxed until he saw Kevin within arm's length.

About thirty minutes later, Kevin harshly turned into the neighborhood making Eddward stand up, but slightly calmed when he saw the kid's grin on his face. "I'm back!" Kevin called out as he jumped off the bike on Eddward's drive way.

"Good" Eddward smiled down placing a hand of the smaller teen's shoulder.

Kevin placed a hand on top of Eddward's and smiled back then jumped in realization "I can't believe you're out here in the cold! You're going to get sick Eddward! You could have just waited inside damn it"

Eddward laughed as he was dragged inside his home. Kevin's hand on his hadn't felt warmer than it did that night, the raven haired teen could feel the warmth spread through his stomach and up his chest. Beside everything that had happened that night, and the possible consequences of that night Eddward was content to see Kevin laughing along with his best friend as Ed lightened the mood with silly games. He crossed his arms leaning back against on the wall with a soft smile as Kevin turned to look at him with a grateful expression.

Somehow, he just couldn't rip his eyes away from that radiant freckled face that night.

…

* * *

 _ **I bet there are A LOT of errors in this chapter but I have reached a limit that I just don't care anymore :P I'm so tired of looking at this chapter it's too long for me to go through several times lolol**_

 _ **NONETHELESS, I hope you enjoyed! I love developing the relationships among characters and Eddward's and Nazz's is one I've been looking forward to write for so long.**_

 _ **So much happened in this chapter I am looking forward to reading your thoughts, and don't worry Eddy is going to appear more often now that he has been given a part. Eddy's character is another I've been excited to include, why you think Eddy and Eddward hate each other soo much? :D**_

 _ **ALSO I wanted to note you are very soon going to see another character be introduced and I'm a little scared to finally add them in for reasons you shall see. Can you take a guess?**_

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ _ **Feel free to message me on Tumblr and Twitter: Arielagam (**__ _ _ **I squeal with joy every time I get such a sweet message hahaha I'm just really happy you all have been following this story for so long and those who binge read in a matter of days or hours! WOW so flattered! I hope this story won't disappoint.)**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	48. Chapter 48

The night had progressed rather slowly after the party's event for the four teens. After Nazz had calmed down from the traumatizing event Eddward and Kevin drove the girl back to her house thankfully before her parents had arrived. The raven haired teen had helped the girl up the stairs of her home as Kevin happily followed behind with the girls heels in hand. The blonde girl sat down at the edge of her bed and looked up to give the swimmer a small grateful smile, and with a nod Eddward excused himself heading back to wait for Kevin in the car.

The ginger teen had knelt down by her side and smiled up at her with a relieved expression. She gave his freckled hand a squeeze before leaning down and planting a chaste kiss on his forehead. "I'll be alright Kevin…" Cupping his face with her hands she pressed her forehead to his "…I love you" she whispered out softly.

Kevin took hold of her hands with a sad smile "I love you too…" he responded with a frown pulling back. "I'm sorry Nazz I didn't want this to happen I w-wish I could have been there for you" he quickly looked up with tearful eyes "If there's anything that I can do—"

Nazz pulled the teen into her embrace with a smile "I know…" she breathed in tightening in her hold "Just…promise me this will end soon"

With a nod Kevin whispered out "I promise"

The girl urged Kevin to stand up with a pat to his arm "Go on then, Vincent's waiting for you"

"You sure you don't want me to stay?" Kevin asked still with a guilty face.

Nazz shook her head and then Kevin leaned down hugging her once more before walking out. He had hesitated at her bedroom door but he had flicked her hand "Goodnight Nazz" he turned to leave. He knew the girl would not be getting any rest that night. He knew she would be paranoid and restless the entire time and it hurt to think that this would stick with her forever.

Kevin knew the feeling intense fear and being submerged in anxiety all the damn time. He hated it. It was like being crapped in a terrified state of mind, unknowing of what to do. He hated that fact that at least for some time, Nazz would suffer from it…perhaps have days she would not sleep and yet she had smiled up at him. How was she that strong? He knew she always had been, but it surprised him that she had not shed a tear. Perhaps now, in the privacy of her room she could break down. Perhaps that was why she had sent him away…and that stung a little. He wanted to be with her and comfort her.

Kevin closed the door of Nazz home and with a deeper frown crawled into Eddward's car. They both sat there in silence for a long moment before Eddward turned to him with a sad look "Is she fine?" he quietly asked.

The freckled teen looked down at his hands still feeling the slight shake of the girl's hands "She will be" he looked up then meeting eyes with the raven haired teen "Let's go"

"Do you want me to take you home?" Eddward quietly asked pulling out of the driveway.

Kevin was silent for a moment before lightly shaking his head "I don't want to… be alone tonight" he could feel his voice being to shake. He felt terrible, how could he have let that happen to his best friend? If Eddward hadn't found her in time…Kevin feared the thought.

Eddward reached over to take hold of Kevin's shaky hand. It was comforting, the warmth of the swimmer's hand was a familiar sensation that the smaller teen rather enjoyed and aided to keep him grounded. "Alright, just inform your father" Eddward murmured pulling his hand back to the steering wheel as they made their way back to Eddward's.

When they arrived the neighborhood was dark and quiet, but to Kevin it seemed more eerily than before. He stepped inside the house waiting for Eddward as he parked the car in the garage. Without turning on the lights the small teen slowly walked to the stairs and took a seat with crossed. The moonlight coming through the windows made it sufficient enough for him to see Eddward entering the room and making his way towards him. Kevin looked up noticing how tired the raven haired was and frowned.

Eddward reached his hand out for Kevin to take helping him to stand up "Let's head to bed"

Kevin had stepped out of Eddward's room to change and when he returned he saw a shirtless Eddward sitting on the edge of the bed. The lamp's light made every scar, bruise and scrape on the boy's body easily visible. The freckled teen felt nauseated…the thought that Eddward was suffering this physical pain made him feel sick. This was not ok…this was literally hurting the other. He looked away with a sad expression as Eddward turned to look at him.

It must have been around two in the morning by now, because Kevin was feeling profoundly tired as well but he knew it would be hard for him to actually fall asleep. He would keep his phone close in case Nazz needed him. Once again Kevin lied down in Eddward's bed wearing some of the other's comfortable clothes. Curling in on himself he faced away from the swimmer and let his thoughts float through his mind. Kevin was angry…angry that he didn't have the power to end the gang right then and now. He had made a promise to Nazz and he intended to keep it no matter what.

"Kevin?" Kevin heard Eddward's soft voice call out in concern.

He decided to let out a hum in response continuing to keep his eyes closed. There was silence for a long time making Kevin believe that maybe the other had fallen asleep but then he felt slender fingers slide up to his waist. "Look at me" Eddward commanded in a low voice.

Hesitant to turn around Kevin waited a moment before complying. With a slight redness to his face he turned around though he eyes looked down at the other's bruised chest. Tentatively he looked up to meet exhausted yet serious crystal eyes and kept silent. Eddward raised his hand to caress Kevin's cheek in silence as he looked him over then he finally spoke. "What happened tonight wasn't your fault"

Kevin knew he would say something like that…he lowered his gaze to the sheets with a frown. "Yes it was, I shouldn't have let her go out tonight"

"That was her decision, and she was fully aware of the risks. Don't beat yourself up about it" the teen leaned closer "the important part was that nothing…horrific happened"

"What happened was bad enough…" he muttered out continuing to avoid eye contact "I never wanted her to go through something like that"

Eddward laced his fingers through the ginger hair "No one should…but somethings are unavoidable. As much as you want to protect her, she is still free to do whatever she wants and with that freedom comes consequences. You can't take responsibility for every bad thing that happens to her"

"…then are you so overprotective of me?" Kevin questioned eyeing a semi-healed scrape on the teen's shoulder "Why do you take responsibility for my bad decisions?" he frowned knowing Eddward always seemed to be able to fix Kevin's fuck ups, just like tonight.

"Because I _am_ responsible, I put you in this dangerous situation" Eddward pulled back his hand.

The smaller teen pouted finally looking up to meet Eddward's stare "You didn't put me here, I'm here because I wanted to be here"

Eddward let out a soft chuckle "I know…but I _let_ you in knowing what you would face."

"Why did you then?" Kevin kept his stare.

"…I don't really know" Now Eddward lowered his gaze to the teen's freckled hand. "I..." he took small breaths "I believe I need you more than I thought I did"

Kevin melted at that statement. He reached out to hold the swimmer's hand close to his chest and scooted over placing his head underneath the other's chin "Well, I'm here now whether you want me here or not" he closed his eyes feeling slightly better now being this close to the other and attempted to sleep. It wasn't until some moments later that Kevin spoke again. "I know I say this a lot but…thank you Eddward" Kevin wasn't sure if the other had fallen asleep already but Kevin really didn't know what he would do without the raven haired teen.

…

Nazz had lied in her bed for a good hour trying not to think about the intense fear as she ran through that dark forest like a terrified dear awaiting death. The games and silliness of Ed and Kevin had helped to distract her but now that she was alone in her home there was no escaping. She stood and with shaky legs limped her way to the bathroom to take a bath. She warmed up the bath and she slipped out the mermaid costume. Then she gently slipped in the warm water lifting her bandage foot to the edge of the tub feeling a sense of relief.

She really owed one to Eddward this time and would have to properly thank him for saving her. How dumb it had been of her to go out when she knew the dangers of doing so. Sam had been the one to give her the outfit and the thought that she had put it on was repulsive to her, however, that only meant that it had been him who had left the rain jacket as well. She was profoundly convinced that the blonde planted that outfit for Jimmy to easily recognize and kidnap her. But what of the jacket? He had left it for her to protect herself from the rain…

Then he had released her from the cage and told her he had meant to shield her from Jimmy kidnapping her. What she to believe when the guy had even listened to her demand and released the others too…she a groan she slumped down lower into the water.

She had heard her parents enter the house and slump down on the couch falling asleep. She gave them a small smile from the top of the stairs as she had exited the bathroom and re-entered her room. With dirty clothes in hand, she limped her way back to the bed and pulled out some painkillers from her drawer. As she took a seat at the edge of her bed something white caught her eye. She looked up and froze in her spot feeling a sense of horrible fear consume her completely.

It was a small white envelope with a rose tapped onto the corner of her window. The same shakiness returned to her as she stood up. Slowly she opened the window and looked around for any sign of anyone around but just silent darkness. She closed the window this time putting the lock on too and limped back to her bed. The girl was certain this envelope had not been there before, if it had been she would have noticed earlier or Kevin or Eddward would have certainly taken notice.

She settled back on her bed and stared down at the envelope with fear but slowly began opening it to reveal small handwriting.

 _Apologies for tonight's mishap love. Though, I am relieved to know you are home._

 _Rest_

 _Do try to be more compliant next time._

There was no signature but she knew exactly who it was. The damn bastard knew where she lived…she crumpled the note in her hand throwing it away across the room as well as the rose and pressed a hand to her lips feeling bile coming up.

She sank in her bed letting some tears freely fall from anger. How in the world was she to believe this bullshit? That this monster actually liked her? How _dare_ he leave her this note after tonight. It was despicable, and absolutely disgusting. She wouldn't fall for his sick games.

…

Kevin was the first to wake in the morning, rolling over to look at Eddward who was facing away. Now with the bright day light he could easily make out all of the injuries on the teen's back. The ginger teen frowned hoping this wasn't the after math after _every_ Friday night. Kevin knew now Eddward did cage fighting once a week and it pained to think of what the long term consequences were going to be on the physical strain of the swimmer's body. Kevin had had a small lower back ache for months now that he had not mentioned to anyone. The teen just _knew_ it had been from the beatings, and he hoped with the exercise the ache would lessen over time.

But Eddward had gotten into fights many, many times, and now he was forced to probably fight guys bigger than him. Gently not to wake the other he raised a hand to trace one dark bruise on the teen's left shoulder and felt his finger shake upon touching the injury. He didn't want to see the raven haired teen like this. He didn't want him to get hurt worse…the teen knew cage fighting was illegal and could get terribly dangerous. In some parts of the world the fights would get so intense they lost limbs, and the thought of Eddward losing something terrified him.

Perhaps if it ever came to that then Eddward might not ever swim again. The idea was utterly miserable to think about. The king of sharks forced to not ever rule over the water again, forced to give up his one true element and passion. What a sad image that was. The teen hoped that would never happen and this would all end before it got any worse.

If only the teen could surpass that fear of his worst demons. As long as Eddward didn't overpower them, Sam would continue to be his puppeteer. Just _what_ had him terrified of the world knowing? What was it that Eddward would not even tell him after everything they've gone through? It seemed to him that everyone around them knew the Eddward's secret, then why was he scared of people knowing? Or rather who was Sam going to tell?

He _wished_ Eddward would tell him, just wished he would _trust_ him enough with the secret. Eddward had already trusted him enough to tell him the terrible stuff he had done in the gang and some of his own issues.

The teen let out a breath and closed his eyes coming back to a relaxed mind. He had to let Eddward open up to him at his own pace and be respectful of the teen's decisions, even if the other decided to not ever tell him.

With a groan he felt Eddward slowly turn around to face him "What's wrong Pumpkin?" he asked in a husky voice still filled with sleep.

It was then that Kevin realized his trembling hand had been completely pressed to Eddward's back. "Sorry did I wake you?" he murmured out apologetically.

Eddward let out another pained groan as he turned to his side completely. Kevin could tell he was beyond sore from all the physical strain of the last two nights. "It's fine…what has you troubled?" he questioned once more.

Kevin had pulled his freckled hand away from the other and pressed it to his chest as he looked down to the sheets. "It's nothing really"

"…Kevin" Eddward called out knowing that was bull and clearly something was bothering the other causing him to shake. "Is it about last night?"

The ginger teen shook his head "No, it's… it's about these" Kevin reached out again pressing a finger to the bruise that peeked out from the other's shoulder.

Eddward chuckled "Don't worry about it, I've had worse fights"

Kevin didn't like that answer… he stayed silent frowning as he glared at the bruise. "How worse?" he finally broke the silence.

"…It's better if you didn't know" Eddward avoided the question, instead offering a comforting rub to his freckled arm.

"I want to know" Kevin gave him a stern look.

With a sigh the other answered "Fine…" Eddward sat up and raised his left arm "I broke this arm once when I was fighting a rivaling gang leader in town. He pointed to a scar on his lower right side "That…that was a deep cut wound from some drug addict who hated me" he took notice as Kevin sat up as well with wide eyes and lips pressed together. He reached out for Kevin's hand and pulled it to a section on the right side of his head where Kevin felt the smallest bump from a scar "That was when Ed pushed me and I hit a rock" he chuckled grimly "It was a small wound but…I was bleeding all over the place" he then let go of the freckled hand seemingly finished but Kevin eyes landed on Eddward's scar and he felt his hand roam through the other's raven locks until his finger reached it.

At the touch, Kevin noticed that for the first time… Eddward had flinched. He pressed his lips together hesitant to ask…"What about this one?" he spoke in a whisper.

He could see Eddward's entire complexion turn dark. Kevin pulled away afraid he had touched on something the teen didn't want to talk about. "That…" Eddward finally spoke out with a scowl "That one hurt the most" he paused "made with the sharpest edge of a broken wine bottle…a symbol that they wanted me dead but couldn't go through with it"

Kevin felt his hand shake once more "…who?"

Eddward looked to Kevin's eyes and stared in silence for some time before lightly shaking his head "Some bastard" he answered.

Again…Kevin let out a breath. Perhaps the secret had to do with the scar?

"Let's get ready for a run then we can make that breakfast I promised" Eddward stood then heading out the door of his bedroom without another word.

The ginger teen pulled his knees to his chest tightly silently listening to Eddward footsteps. He wondered who that 'some bastard' was…who was it that wanted Eddward dead and couldn't go through with it? It was disheartening to know that every time the swimmer would look in the mirror he would look up to see the elegant little scar…a symbol of pure hatred towards him. No wonder he kept it hidden under his hat. No wonder it pained him to look at it and _know_ it was there.

With another sigh he finally stood up to get ready for the day as well.

…

Kevin stood frozen as he watched a frantic Eddward search throughout every inch of his home mumbling angrily under his breath. He had just gotten dressed and walked down the stairs when he had heard loud swearing and a bang as the raven haired teen had moved some boxes around in the basement. Kevin approached cautiously "E-Eddward?" he called out a bit nervously lifting a hand to adjust his glasses "What are you looking for?"

Upon hearing the ginger teen's voice Eddward turned around to face Kevin with a panicked expression "I…I can't find my hat" the swimmer pressed his lips together looking down.

Kevin noticed the flushed ears the other displayed meaning he was embarrassed. With a soft smile Kevin began to help move things around the basement hoping to spot the hat. It was endearing how attached the taller teen was to it. "You had it with you last night didn't you?" he asked.

Eddward raised a hand to massage the back part of his neck as he scanned the room "I did. I took it with me to Sam's party but I left it in the car…"

"And your certain it's not in the car somewhere?" Kevin walked over to the car "Maybe it fell under the seat?" he bent down moving the seat back at far as it could go and searching.

"I've already searched the car three times" the swimmer answered exasperated "I thought perhaps I had brought it inside but…" he let out a sigh frowning.

It was then that Kevin peeked up in alarm "…Eddward…" he called out again fearfully "Maybe it was left behind in the woods"

Eddward crossed his arms tensely as he thought about it "Impossible…" he mumbled out "I never took it out, I had it stored in that compartment" he walked to the smaller teen and motioned towards the compartment on the passenger side.

"But it's not there…" Kevin crossed his arms now staring confused at the compartment "Wait, didn't you say Eddy was the one who poked holes in your car?"

"Yes?" Eddward raised an eyebrow.

"Well, did you possibly leave the car unlocked?" Kevin questioned sitting down looking up at the other.

"Of course not" Eddward let out a frustrated sigh before his eyes went wide in realization "But that bastard knows how to pick locks!" he yelled out angrily "Fuck!"

Suddenly Eddward began searching his car again for anything else that may have been stolen, but found everything was where it had been oddly enough. With another sigh he slouched down in the driver's seat "That fucking bastard…" he groaned out highly annoyed.

At that Kevin could help but notice that Eddward referred to the guy as a bastard and couldn't help but wonder if perhaps…Eddy had been the one to make the scar? "Now what?" he questioned softly looking over to the angered teen next to him.

"I'm going to get my fucking hat back" Eddward angrily tightened his hold on the steering wheel.

In that moment Kevin knew Eddy was utterly, in every sense of the word, fucked. "Hey, I don't mean to sound insensitive but…don't you have like other hats?" he pressed his lips together. If Eddward was only trying to hide the scar then who cared about the beanie right?

Eddward frowned lessening his grip on the steering wheel "Certainly, but that beanie is irreplaceable…" he slouched down further irritated "Eddy _knows_ it"

Yet another part of Eddward's story that Kevin was completely oblivious about. He frowned slumping more as well as he looked up to see the punching bag. The smaller teen felt selfish and greedy wanting to know everything about the other. The guy had every right to keep secrets for crying out loud, but Kevin knew all these little details like the scar and the hat only added to something bigger. He just had to be patient and respectful.

They stayed in silence for moment before Kevin felt Eddward's slender hand push back some his short hair behind his freckled ear. The smaller teen eyed the swimmer with a flush on his cheeks confused about the sudden gesture. "Sorry about that" Eddward spoke out softly. "I promised you breakfast didn't I?"

"OH, d-don't worry about it! Getting your hat back is m-more important" the ginger teen flushed completely wildly waving his hands. It amazed him how the guy could go from complete irritation to flat out soft and endearing.

"Nonsense" Eddward breathed in then got out of the car walking to the other side reaching a hand out for Kevin to take "I'll go retrieve it another time…It would pain me to ruin the day with Eddy's shenanigans"

With a frown Kevin looked up sympathetically "Are you sure? I really don't mind. I know it's important to you"

"Yes Kevin, I'm positively certain" Eddward wiggled his fingers waiting for Kevin to take his hand.

With a small smile Kevin took the teen's hand letting the other pull him up. He closed the door with a small push and followed Eddward out of the basement hand in hand.

Kevin took a seat at the table as instructed by Eddward. He still felt unsure about letting Eddy get away with stealing the hat for the time being. Kevin was aware that the hat meant a lot for him because the swimmer's body was tensed. However, he appreciated that Eddward was prioritize spending time with him rather than getting his treasured beanie back.

Though, Kevin had a feeling it was because Eddward didn't want to bring him along. To which, he understood why. He wondered how Eddy looked like, if he was just a big as the other two Ed's. If he was then things would easily get messy. The smell of warm tea interrupted his thoughts as the raven haired teen placed an orange round mug in front of him. With a smile Kevin wrapped his hands around the mug bringing it closer and feeling the calming warmth radiating from it. "This is new" he mumbled out take a sip of the drink.

"What is?" Eddward questioned

"This mug" he chuckled taking another sip of the warm drink. It was chilly that morning even for the usual cold temperature of the home.

"Oh" Eddward didn't turn around as he was distracted with the cooking "It reminded me of you I suppose"

Kevin raised an eyebrow as he stared down at the mug, was it the orange color? It wasn't until he raised it up that he realized the mug took the shape of a pumpkin. This made him laughed out "Well, I guess I should find a shark mug now"

The swimmer chuckled as he grabbed some plates. When he placed Kevin's plate in front of him he saw the ginger's eyes sparkle with delight. The raven haired teen had learned what some of the boy's favorite dishes had been throughout their time together and he noticed with joy how Kevin seemed to absolutely love Eddward's cheesy bacon and egg hash. Though, the dish could never top pancakes that much Eddward was well aware. It was adorable watching the other eat in all honesty.

"Goddess, Eddward, what did I do to deserve you?" Kevin hummed as he took another bite.

This made the taller teen blush completely as he nearly choked on his drink. Why was Kevin so unaware of some of things he says sometimes? He looked up to smile at the freckled teen as he began eating as well. It was still weird sometimes for him to have someone else with him in this huge house. Especially now a days, that they would share a bed instead of sleeping in separate rooms. Since the boys had had their talk a few days ago the raven haired teen found that he would now wake up with Kevin nuzzle up close to him and it only had him thinking how utterly damned he was.

His thoughts were interrupted as they heard a knock at the door. The two teens exchanged a quick glance before Eddward stood to answer the door. Thankfully, it was Ed who was fidgeting and looking around the neighborhood in a panic. "What's wrong Ed?" Ed hastily stepped inside as Eddward closed the door. He looked around to see Kevin sitting at the dining table with a confused expression. He gave him a wary smile before turning back to the raven haired teen and pushing him into the living room. "Ed?" he questioned again.

Ed leaned in a bit close and in a low voice he whispered out "I heard the police have Eddy and some other kids under custody Double D"

"What!" Eddward whispered back "Who else?"

"I don't know some members who were at the party last night" Ed shook his head "They're being questioned. I don't know how much the police know, but I believe they are only concerned over the underage drinking."

"Who did you hear this from?" Eddward tensed remembering Eddy had his hat and could easily tattle tell.

"Um…he's a gang member actually, b-but he on our side I promise" Ed quickly added.

With a sigh, the raven haired teen crossed his arms looking concerned "You're sure he's trustworthy?"

"Yes" Ed looked serious now "Anyways I just came to let you know, I don't think the police will come even if Eddy tells. They need proof and the other members won't say anything in fear of you or Sam"

"That's the thing, Ed, Eddy has my hat" Eddward whispered out tensely "He's an idiot but not that much of an idiot. He must have stolen it on purpose. He could have taken pictures of my car for crying out loud"

" _Shit_ Double D" Ed's shoulders fell "What now?"

"There's not much I can do, but wait and hope the bastard doesn't rat me out" Eddward sighed out in irritation.

"If he does? What happens then DD? The worst that can happen is suspension or expulsion from school but your parents are the only ones who can go and take you out from their custody and we don't even know where in the world they are!" Ed slightly raised his voice in a panic.

"Ed, calm yourself down" Eddward gave the brunette a pat on the shoulder "If it comes down to it…" the hand on the other's shoulder formed into a tight grip. He didn't like the idea but… "Get a hold of Sam, he will know what to do"

"Sam!" Ed screamed out in a loud whisper "Are you crazy, the last thing we need is to be in his debt!"

"Look, I don't like it either but…Sam's gotten me out of these situations before" Eddward mumbled out "Do you understand Ed?"

The brunette breathed in "…fine" he breathed out and noticed a ginger head poke his head into the room.

Kevin stood by the bookshelves of the living room with a worried expression on his face "Is everything alright?"

The swimmer gave the taller teen a stern look before looking past to meet Kevin's olive eyes "Everything is fine" he gave the freckled teen a reassuring smile before looking back to Ed "Would you like to stay?" he questioned.

Ed shook his head as he placed his nervous hands in his green jacket's pockets "No, I was actually heading to see Sarah"

With the mention of the girls name Eddward's features soften "Is she better? I'm sorry I haven't stopped by"

"It's fine you don't have to" Ed shrugged looking down at his right hand he had pulled out of his pocket "She…she gave my hand a squeeze the other day" he looked up with excitement, "I think she might be conscious"

Eddward gave the other a grand smile with a soft chuckle "That's great news, Ed! Just you wait, she'll wake up before you know it"

"I think so too" Ed smiled with bright eyes "Alright then, I should get going" he turned around and gave Kevin a hug "Call me if you need anything" he ruffled Kevin's short hair and turned back to give the raven haired teen a nod before letting himself out.

Kevin pressed his lips together as he stared at the door that the teen had just left through. He had hidden at the entrance hall when he heard the two whispering and since they were so focused on whatever their conversation was about they hadn't noticed Kevin move closer. He heard enough to know that the police might come to Eddward's place at any moment and that highly alarmed him.

He lifted from the hallway wall he had leaned against and entered the living room to find Eddward looking out the window. "Who's Sarah?" Kevin questioned.

This caught the teen's attention "Sarah is Ed's younger sister"

"Oh, I had no idea he had a sibling" Kevin mumbled out crossing his hand together "Is she in a coma or something?"

Eddward nodded as he walked over to the couch to take a seat "Yes, she has been for three years now"

"Oh my god, _three_ years!" Kevin took a seat next to Eddward "What happened to her?"

"Tragic story" Eddward gave a sad smile towards the smaller teen "I don't know all the details, but we know she was at a party with her apparent boyfriend at the time and both were highly intoxicated. They got into his car and unfortunately drove off a cliff on the highway that should have killed them both." Eddward paused intertwining his hands "He died, but she miraculously survived" he looked to the side to find Kevin's paled face. "She's been in a coma ever since"

"I remember hearing about the accident… it was all over town" Kevin shook his head thinking what heartbreak poor Ed was living through, having to nearly loose the only sibling he had and now with the small hope that one day she would awaken. Not to mention the medical bills Ed's parents had to pay in order to keep the girl alive must have been exhausting their financial situation. "Poor Ed" he whispered out.

"Indeed, she was only 13 at the time" Eddward furrowed eyebrows "The bastard who was her boyfriend was 16. He should have known better than to involve a young girl in such troublesome affairs. He only ruined her"

"Oh man, what" Kevin sighed out "Will she alright if she wakes up?"

"I've read that being in a coma for so long has major consequences, especially after the horrific accident she was in." Eddward noticed Kevin freckled hands slide their way into his hands to hold tightly "I fear her brain might be too damaged and may have to be bedridden the rest of her life." He felt Kevin hands slightly being to tremble and he gave them a firm squeeze "Best case scenario is she has the strength and determination to get better. She might be in a wheel chair for her entire life but that shouldn't stop anyone from living" he gave the teen a small smile. "She's been fighting for 3 years now, I'm sure she'll keep on fighting"

Kevin smiled at that "We'll be by her and Ed's side if they need us. If she's Ed's sister I'm sure she'll be strong enough to get through this"

"I believe so as well" Eddward couldn't help but melt into the tender way Kevin was always so supportive of everyone around him. The boy didn't know the girl and he was already so determined to help out in any way he could. "We should visit her one of these days"

"Yeah we should go someday, I'd love to meet her" the smaller teen looked down at their hands and felt a sudden rush of bashfulness overwhelm him so he hesitantly let go. Now if the police were to potentially show up here wouldn't it be best if they left the house? "Eddward, let's go out for today" he spoke out softly looking up.

"And where would you like to go?" Eddward raised an eyebrow.

Kevin stayed silent for a moment thinking about where it might be safe to go "Um, I haven't seen Ms. Adams in a while so how about we visit her? You didn't go into work yesterday right?"

"Right, well then shall we head out?" Eddward questioned standing up and walking back into the kitchen.

Kevin smiled and stood up following right behind then rushing ahead to quickly grab their dirty dishes "I'll wash them" he announced chuckling once again at the pumpkin mug. Eddward then nodded heading upstairs to grab one of the many black beanie's he had.

…

They made it to the antique shop which had closed for the day, but Ms. Adams was outside caring for the winter season plants she had placed in front of her store. The woman brown eyes lit up at the sight of the boy's together "My, My how good to see you Kevin!" the woman called out happily as she straighted up.

"Afternoon Ms. Adams, sorry I haven't visited. School has me distracted" he melted into the woman's warm embrace. Her mustard colored sweater really complimented her tan skin tone and light brown eyes.

"Don't you worry dear, Eddward lets me know you're alright" The woman smiled looking up to see Eddward "I hope you're doing better?"

Eddward blushed remembering his lie about being ill "I am… I took some medication"

"Good" she playfully eyed him "Then, how about we head inside? It's awfully chilly out here"

Eddward and Kevin nodded following the woman inside the store. Eddward had grabbed the woman's watering can and placed it in the back of the store as the other two headed upstairs. When he entered the Ms. Adams living space he found Kevin observing the studio apartment.

Kevin hadn't been upstairs before and was surprised by how wide and tall the apartment was. The walls were rustic which matched the store downstairs very well. There were various plants around the apartment which truly brought the place to life. Everything was cozy and warm colored which made him felt comfortable stepping into the living space. The kitchen and dining table were to their left from the living room they were small but plenty for the woman living alone. There were three tall rounded windows throughout the space bringing a lot of natural sunlight when not covered but the curtains. The love seat and couch were covered by warm blankets and the small coffee table with candles and knitting supplies. To their right, Kevin saw two doors, to which he assumed, led to a room and a restroom. Though, his eyes followed a flight of metal stairs that curled up into what seemed like a larger room. The apartment wonderfully established the essence of Ms. Adams very well. He smiled as he turned back to meet Eddward who returned his smile.

"Come and sit down boys" The woman called out with a soft smile as she placed some water to boil.

Once more Kevin looked around the apartment admiring every different plant the woman had "Your home is really lovely Ms. Adams"

The woman smiled "Thank you dear" she called out over her shoulder and began humming to herself and she prepared some blueberry muffins on a plate as well as some cookies. She placed the plate at the center of the table "Help yourselves, I made them this morning"

Kevin took a cookie while Eddward took a muffin. They patiently waited for Ms. Adams to join them with the warm tea, this time it was a peachy flavored one. They quietly talked about with the woman about some school activities they have been going through. Such as a group assignment that Eddward and Kevin were supposed to start soon, as well as Eddward's upcoming meets. Kevin was excited to see the king of sharks back in action. Ms. Adams spoke about some décor ideas she wished to do with the store as well as around her apartment. She also mentioned about a long lost friend who had recently gotten in contact with her and the woman pulled out an old photo album that showcased her younger years in 80's fashion. Ms. Adams has truly been a very beautiful girl, her bright brown eyes shining ever so bright in the photographs as her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail she was standing next to a tall dark skinned girl with a radiant smile and beautiful curly hair. The boys smiled at the fond way the woman would speak about her past and her friend.

Eventually Kevin noticed the warm colors in the sky that would indicate that the sun was going to set and he remembered that he had wanted to go up to the cliff. When the woman noticed the freckled teen watch the sky she smiled and put down her album "I have a lovely view if you boys would like to go up to the balcony upstairs?"

Kevin blushed at the offer and nodded. The woman pointed upstairs "It's just straight up those stairs, here's take some blankets" she stood to hand them each a warm blanket.

"Aren't you coming too?" Kevin asked sheepishly taking the blanket in hand.

Ms. Adams shook her head with a soft smile "No dear, I don't go up too often, the stairs take a toll on my hips. The one's going down to the store are much easier for me to handle" she chuckled out then shoed them off as she made herself comfortable once more on the couch.

Kevin followed Eddward up the metal stairs that swirled up to the upper floor. There was a glass door that led into the small balcony. The balcony had a stone floor and was wide enough for two metal chairs and two tall plants on each side. Kevin chuckled at the insane amount of plants Ms. Adams had around her home but he figured they kept her preoccupied.

They took a seat on the metal chairs and wrapped themselves with the blankets. Kevin looked over at Eddward who looked clearly exhausted and ready to sleep. He felt bad about having left the teen's home but Kevin would rather be on the safe side. Besides, they hadn't heard anything more from Ed and the town seemed to be just a normal as Peach Creek could be. "Have you been up here before?" he quietly asked out slouching in the chair.

"Once…Ann brought me out here after she decided to close early" Eddward mumbled out tilting his head to rest it on his hand "It was sometime after your incident actually"

"Hm" Kevin hummed out observing the blue eyes dim for a moment before he looked away and up to the sky. They couldn't see the horizon where the sun would disappear but the scenery was still just as magical as they slowly noticed the town's lights begin to light as the evening got darker. The stars followed along as well as if in a routine with the town. "It's really pretty out here" he breathed out noticing a bit of condensation from his breath.

"And quiet" the teen smiled looking over to the freckled teen "Does this make it into your top five?"

"mm, definitely!" Kevin chuckled out "But not number one…I still really like the sky from back at the cabin. Now _that_ was gorgeous"

"We could go back for a weekend during winter break" Eddward suggested observing the people down below.

"Really?" Kevin leaned forward excitedly.

"If you really want to go and if your father allows it of course" Eddward nodded "Though, it will be much colder up there"

"I don't mind, we can build a blanket fort" Kevin laughed out "And I'm sure my dad will let me"

"Alright then" Eddward slouched down bringing the blankets closer to himself. He really did feel like he was getting sick and that made him frown. All the exertion his body had made this weekend was really prominent and he believed his sickness may have been because of the cold weather from the night before.

The boys stayed silent as they watched the sky turn from its various warm colors into a sweet ocean of velvet and navy blue. They watched the night life begin underneath them as some groups of adults and teenagers wandered around the street entering bars and heading out to the playground a couple of streets down. Once it got too cold for them they stood and headed back inside where Ms. Adams was knitting a dark blue scarf. She smiled at them and chuckled seeing the boy's rosy noses and cheeks. They handed the blankets back and helped her clean up the dishes they had used earlier before saying their goodbyes.

Eddward then drove Kevin home where they sat inside the car for a moment neither wanting to separate. Kevin. Kevin stared at his dad's old truck that was parked in their small driveway, the lights of the kitchen and living room were turned on. Eddward noticed the quiet behavior from the boy as he stared out thoughtfully. "Tomorrow will be just as it usually is, promise"

"Will it?" Kevin turned back with a worried expression. "Nazz won't be at school because she sprained her ankle, and I hate that she has to lie about it. How many kids have to suffer?" he met the swimmer's eyes then "I'm worried this is getting out of hand…I'm worried that you'll suffer bigger consequences the longer your with them"

The taller teen breathed steadily as he listened to the freckled teen's concerns "…We won't let it get out of hand, you shouldn't have to worry about that"

"I should. I should be worried because these people are treating us like we're animals. Is a student going to have to die before the adults finally find out?" Kevin formed his hands into fists. "I heard you and Ed talk this morning and the last thing I want is Sam letting you take the fall for something much worse. If he helps you now then he may use it as a way to keep you around. What if the day comes when everything just _explodes_ , and then he doesn't help you. What then?"

"Kevin!" Eddward called down leaning towards the boy and tightly holding onto the boy's trembling fists. "Please calm down, that won't happen. _No one_ is going to die, I promise" he tried to reassure as he tried to regain eye contact with Kevin. "Hey, look at me" he waited for Kevin to finally look up fearfully "There won't be police at my place tonight ok? There won't be a necessity to call Sam for help tonight or any other night, and I'll make sure no other students suffer something as traumatic as Nazz did…Ok?" he whispered out the last word reaching to caress the other's cheek.

"You can't just stay over tonight?" Kevin whimpered out looking at the other with puppy eyes.

Eddward chuckled out "No, pumpkin. I have to go back home eventually" he pressed his forehead to the others who pressed back lightly. "I'll see you at school tomorrow alright?"

Kevin hesitantly pulled back with a frown "…ok" he softly spoke out. He rubbed at his face a bit before taking a breath and stepping out of the car. Before he closed the door he saw the swimmer give him a reassuring smile and be tried his best to return it.

Once he stepped inside he let himself lean against the door. He had a huge regretful feeling at the pit of his stomach. The teen almost wished he would have tried harder to persuade the other to stay. It never hurts to be on the safe side… "I'm home" he lightly called out walking forward.

"Hey kiddo!" Tom Barr peaked his head out from the kitchen "Did your friend drop you off?"

"Yeah" Kevin took off his jacket and placed it on the couch grabbing his favorite fuzzy blanket and wrapping around in it.

"You should have told him to stay for dinner" the man called out.

"…He had an assignment to finish for tomorrow" Kevin frowned slouching on the couch.

"Ah, well. Next time I guess" Kevin's father walking into the living room "You hungry?" he question taking a seat next to his son and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Kevin tried his best to keep a neutral expression on his face. The last thing he wanted was to worry his father. "Kinda"

"Great, I tried one of your mother's recipes" the man laughed slinging an arm and pulling Kevin in into a very much needed huge.

Kevin melted into his father's embrace closing his eyes for a second before laughing along "Maybe it was better Eddward didn't stay"

"You doubt your father's mighty cooking skills?" The Barr man roared out in laughter, before standing up "Come on" With a small smile Kevin followed along, still wrapped in the blanket.

…

Eddward had been sitting in his living room about an hour after he had dropped off Kevin and although he the silence really helped his throbbing head ache he couldn't help but feel lonesome without the company of the freckled teen. He had taken some medication for his oncoming illness, and decided to read for the remainder of the evening.

It was quiet…until he heard them. Familiar faint sirens in the distance of the neighborhood could he heard and he paused listening as he placed down the book and reached for his phone. Then they turned into his neighborhood and that's when he knew…

Quickly he sent a text to Ed. Then got up to grab his black beanie and prepared for the arrival. He watched their bright red and blue lights flash through the windows.

" _Fucking_ Eddy"

...

* * *

 _ **No editing... Sorry once again sigh... But I can't wait to write the next chapter hehe**_

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 _ **What do you think will happen? I'm excited for two certain characters to interact a bit down the story. :)**_

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	49. Chapter 49

_**Answering some Q's:**_

 _ **Bella: First of all, Thank you for leaving your review! I appreciate so much that you are reading a slow burn fic hahaha Don't worry Don't worry they'll be together soon enough. I'm just trying to develop something real? (ish) as real as I can make it haha Personally, I don't believe in love at first sight, nor do I believe this fic would be any good if I made them get together so soon. They were against one another at the beginning and no one can fall for someone who hurt them so suddenly. I want Eddward to be able to build himself up and become the guy that will make Kevin truly fall head over heels for. This is a slow process, but as we see now they are getting there. Also, your other question will be answered in the fic. BUT spoiler alter(ish) Eddward is still in denial about it lolol the reason that is will be answered in time. Again, thank you so much for sticking w/ this fic means the world to me!**_

 _ **Animefreak + Everyone: I WILL NOT HAVE THEM GET TOGETHER AT THE END XD lolol I repeat I will not have them get together at the end. That would be so shitty of me to do. I think I've answered this before BUT to be honest at this point we aren't too far from when they will get together. Their entire senior year will consist of them figuring it out as a couple. FLUFF SO MUCH FLUFF AFTER THAT and...lil smexual stuff? idk yet lolol**_

 _ **I can't say when exactly or in how many chapters it will happen because i'm going with the flow of the story but i'm hoping in about...12chaps? idk idk don't note it cause i don't even know how much content each chapter will have. lolol sorry BUT SOON I PROMISE just be patient please... cause in a handful of chaps your getting something special hehehehe**_

 _ **Thank you thank you everyone for reading the fic! 3 I'm sorry if the pacing is slower than usual, but it's leading to something bigger.**_

 _ **OK, onwards!**_

* * *

The dirty concrete and old brick walls that made up the building was in all honesty probably the only thing keeping this old police station still standing. The only station in the entire town and located at the center of town. Otherwise, Eddward knew for a fact that the station was perhaps built way back in the forties and desperately needed to be rebuilt. Of course, the town major was too cheap to do anything about it. The station was small and there was an empty desk full of unorganized stacks of paper right in front of him. The metal bars forcing him to take a seat on the bench provided with crossed arms as his gaze focused on the closed wooden door trying his hardest to drown out the outbursts of the person next to him.

"Sockhead!"

Eddward closed his eyes with a scowl on his face. _Ignore Ignore Ignore_

"Did you piss your pants when the police showed up Sockhead?" the other laughed out elbowing Eddward "Hey! I'm fucking talking to you damn bastard"

Eddward could feel the anger in him slowly beginning to unwind. He really did have little patience, how much more was he to take? It had already been an entire night since he arrived at the station and the idiot had already been shouting in the cell shouting at sheriff about how he was forcibly dragged to the cabin.

"Whose gonna come bail ya out Sockhead? Huh? Daddy isn't in town" the other laughed out "You gonna live here from now on? It isn't any different from your house anyways, they're both fucking cells"

Eddward sighed out staring up at the ceiling "And your alcoholic mother probably wouldn't notice you're gone if it wasn't for the sheriff giving her a call" he mumbled out.

"Shut your fucking mouth! At least I have a parent who's coming for me!" Eddy shoved the other's shoulder harshly "Where's your fucking mommy and daddy? They're fucking in a completely different continent that's where! They don't give bat shit about your emo ass!"

"It's mind blowing how petty you are Eddy" The raven haired teen leaned back against the cold brick wall, watching as the rain drops increased as they raced down the glass windows of the station.

"Fine whatever Sockhead, I guess I won't give you your hat back then" Eddy leaned back from where he was standing turning his head away.

This caught the swimmers attention as he peeled his eyes away from the window and glared at the short teenager "Don't fucking play with me Eddy, give it back"

"Why should I?" Eddy reached into his jacket's pocket and pulled out the familiar stripped beanie and twirled it around. "I should have just burned it, I would love to see your crying face" the teen giggled. Eddward stood quickly to grab the hat from the others hold "Opps" Eddy threw the hat through the bars and out of reach.

"Mother fucker" Eddward growled out grabbing Eddy's three longest strands of hair and shoved his face against the bars harshly.

"AAAH!" Eddy screamed out clutching at his nose where blood was quickly rushing out. "FUCKING HELL DOUBLED" Eddy tried fighting Eddward by kicking at him and randomly swinging a fist as the other hand held tightly to his nose.

Eddward easily dodged the teen's lame attacks and quickly moved aside letting Eddy trip over the bench and falling down whaling out in pain as the corner of the bench hit his knee.

"Boys Boys!" the sheriff walked in shaking her head as she saw the commotion of the teens. "What's the problem?" the sheriff asked as she closed the door behind her.

"This Psychopath attacked me! Move him into the other cell! He's a fucking barbaric lunatic!" Eddy crawled to the bars to clearly show the woman his bleeding nose. "LOOK! Look at what he did to me!"

The sheriff sighed out crossing her arms as she stood in front of the cell looking at the nose injury. "You're going to live Eddy calm down. And you…" she looked over at Eddward who was glaring away from her. "You really need to control that anger of yours Vincent, your father wouldn't be proud of you" she followed the boys gaze onto the beanie that laid on the floor. She walked over to the hat and picked it up "Is this what the commotion was about?"

Eddward guilty would not look at the woman as he kept silence. Finally she sighed out and handed him the beanie to which he gladly took back and quickly shoved it into his jacket. "Alrighty then, Eddward you're all set to go back home. Eddy's false statement has been disproven and everything is settled"

"WHAT!" Eddy whelped out "BUT HE WAS THERE TOO! I'M NOT LYING SHERIFF" the short teen pointed a finger towards Eddward "He was in possession of drugs too I promise!"

Eddward rolled his eyes and waited as the sheriff opened the cell "Look the only one in trouble here is you and the other guys in the other room. All six of you had high amounts of alcohol in your systems and that is highly against the law.

"HE WAS DRINKING TOO I SAW HIM!" Eddy tried crawling out of the cell when the sheriff opened the cell door but was pushed back inside.

"Although Eddward _did_ have a small amount of alcohol in his system it wasn't anything to be alarmed about. I'll leave his father to properly punish him and the school's principal might suspend him three days from school at best" She moved the side to let the swimmer walk out of the cell. "As for your other claims Eddy we found no evidence and that is going to hurt you" she sighed out tiredly.

"Is my father here?" Eddward quietly questioned trying not to show his surprise as he watched the woman close the cell to a crying Eddy.

"Yes he's waiting for you with your friend in the other room" she pointed to the wooden door. "Here is your phone and you can leave now, your father already settled everything. I have to deal with this one" she placed a hand on her hip as she turned to look at a pouting Eddy.

"…" Eddward nodded and turned to open the door.

"Oh, Eddward" the sheriff spoke out firmly. The raven haired teen hesitantly looked back to find the woman with a soft expression "Please stop getting into trouble dear. You're a real prodigy in this town. The last thing your old man needs is for his only son to go bad"

Confused and disheartened Eddward simply nodded. Great, now it wasn't just his parents he had to prove himself to but now the entire fucking town. Great, just great… with s small breath he hesitantly opened the door. He was scared to face his father, Mr. Vincent, the _Vincent_. The highly admired doctor…his bastard father.

The last time he had seen his father had been months back when the man had unexpectedly showed up home to collect some old documents and check up on the house. Eddward should have been at school at the time but he had left to pick up his swim bag he had left. It had been the day of one of his swim meets…and his father had been in his office when he arrived. Eddward could still remember the cold emotionless eyes that had stared at him in judgement. He hadn't known how but their encounter had ended once again in a fight and the man had stormed out leaving Eddward to feel empty and unwanted.

The teen didn't know how he had managed to drive back to school and complete the swim meet, but as soon as everyone had left the locker room he had collapsed in the stall. He could clearly remember how the world around him had blurred…his mindset had gone on autopilot and before he knew it had stood to grab the pocket knife in his bag. The familiar sensation of the cut rushed through his body…the familiar comfort as he watched the blood mix with the water…the feeling of nothingness. Until the numb state he was in was interrupted by a panicked voice.

"Eddward"

He looked up tensed seeing Sam leaning against the cell where three of the gang members sat quietly pouting waiting for their parents to show up. One had already left he observed, Eddward looked around the room hoping to see the familiar tall dark haired man.

"Your father just left" Sam smiled walking up to him.

"…Why did you get him involved?" Eddward glared at the blonde a small feeling of disappointment in his gut despite the hate he held for his father.

"He was in town" Sam shrugged "It was easier than having to call in my older brother"

Eddward growled out to which the blonde chuckled "Come on, I know you wanted to see that bastard of yours"

"…"Eddward simply shook his head with a frown "Is mother in town too?" he questioned softly refusing to look up.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask your old man" Sam responded placing a hand on the teen's shoulder "I don't understand why you're still wanting his approval. You know you're never getting it"

Eddward let out a soft laugh "You're really asking me that?" he looked up to the blonde "You're doing the same thing. Your father is just as much a bastard as mine"

"Perhaps, but unlike you my buddy Vincent, I won't have to wait much longer for that approval. Soon I'll be working with my brother and my father will pay attention to me then"

"Half-brother Sam and what's going to happen then?" Eddward raised an eyebrow "Your half-brother is going to take over for your father and what about you? You'll always be under him. You're a bastard child, you won't ever be the golden child."

Sam eye twitched at the statement and with a smile he gave a pat on the shoulder "And neither will you Eddward Vincent, neither will you. We'll forever be cursed as unwanted children I suppose" the blonde waved goodbye at the other kids in the cell as he walked with Eddward out of the station.

"Indeed…" Eddward agreed he opened the door. No trace of his father in sight. "You should strive for something else…"

"I follow my father's footsteps as do you, Eddwrad" Sam placed his hands in his pockets "We are slaves to our parent's demands. You know very well I don't have another choice, my future be damned Eddward. You know very well I do this for my mother"

" _You_ , you have choice. I offer you the life of luxury and excitement if you stay with me, your father offers you the life of constant neglect despite all your efforts of pleasing him, who knows if he ever will praise you, and Kevin…" Sam continued with a laugh at the freckled teen's name "he offers you a boring, simple human life, but the choice is up to you. All I'm asking is you stay with me until the end of this year. I need you to help me with the gang, my father has great interest in your capability in our family business." Sam smirked.

"This gang is simply a trial for you isn't it?" Eddward frowned shoving his hands in his pocket.

"Something of the sort" the blonde shrugged "I know the moment I leave it's all going to come crumbling down and all of them are going to drown in the chaos and I couldn't care less"

"You don't believe in your right hand man?" Eddward smirked amused at Sam's behavior.

"Jimmy?" Sam smirked shaking his head "That guy is getting out of control. He has his eye on destroying someone and I'm not too happy about it. I need you to help me control him"

Eddward let out a sigh "Who is he after?"

"No need to worry about that" Sam held out a hand "I can count on you to be my new right hand man this year?"

Eddward glared at the hand… "Will you still want me to be your dog?" he questioned

The blonde ten let out a roaring laugh at the question "No, you've proven enough to me" he shook his head "You've shown me enough of your _Vincent_ side. I'll ease your work load, so how about it"

"Under one condition" Eddward glared firmly at the others dark eyes.

"And that is?" Sam smiled knowingly

"You, _and_ your hounds refrain from hurting Kevin, Nazz _and_ Ed"

"…And Ed?" Sam bit his lip tilting his head to the side in thought. "So you two _are_ friends again?" he looked up with a smirk "Even after what he did? Really?" Eddward simply glared at the blonde and didn't speak. Sam sighed "Very well, if it means you'll give me your one hundred percent" Sam raised his hand once again and Eddward shook it. "Then It's a deal"

"Deal" Eddward muttered out.

Sam then began walking away "Oh! I heard your fathers going to stay in town for a while…seems like something has come up. Maybe he will go home" he called over his shoulder.

This made Eddward freeze in his spot…would the man really come home? Did that mean his mother was in town as well?

…

Kevin stood by the lockers of the east wing as he watched the crowd of students stampede through the hall trying to reach their next class. He held onto his backpacks strap tightly unable to push down the feeling of uneasiness. He hadn't received any messages from Eddward which seemed to have been his first red flag because the boys had developed a morning routine where Kevin would wish him a good morning and the other would respond. It had been a small habit to have but the fact the swimmer had not responded was very unsettling. Nazz was absent due to her injury and Ed was nowhere to be seen. He supposed that it was a good sign that Peach Creek seemed to be quiet that day, no one was gossiping nor were they sharing a sense of terror. However, little Kevin felt awfully alone and eerie that day as he had gone from class to dull class. The second red flag that had set Kevin on edge and lead him to stand watching the crowd to see if he would spot either of the Ed's was that neither of the J's nor Sam were present that day as well.

Finally seeing there was a minute before class he wandered into his history class where he hoped to see a familiar face. Eddward's seat was empty as had been previous classes making Kevin frown. He hoped the worst hadn't happened, and everything was fine and his anxiety and paranoia were just exaggerations. He took a seat and pulled out his phone to send the raven haired teen a text hoping there would be a reasonable response.

He looked over to the window seeing the rain drops begin to slide down the glass and slowly increase in speed. All of a sudden the freckled teen felt awfully cold in the loud classroom.

…

By the end of the class period Kevin couldn't stand it anymore. There was still no response from Eddward and Ed and he was beyond anxious that maybe the police had shown up to Eddward's. Here Kevin was completely oblivious to what was happening and it frustrated him above all else.

He stood by a window at entrance of the school watching the rain pour down with strength. He pulled out his phone from his rain jacket's pocket to call both of the missing Ed's. Neither, answered… he just couldn't get the feeling that something bad could have happened. Pulling the zipper all the way up and lifting his hood he stepped out decided to go in search at the athlete's home.

As he rapidly walked down the stairs he noticed a dark motorcycle come into the school. He immediately recognized the vehicle that belonged to Sam. Kevin griped the strap of his backpack tighter watching the figure take off the helmet revealing the dirty blonde haired teen.

Now he rushed towards the figure in anger, how dare this bastard show up at his school having done what he did to Nazz and potentially to the Ed's. The fact that Sam was the only one to show up was far too suspicious. As he got closer to the taller teen his freckled hand formed fists, the sensation of infuriated heat in his chest reminding him of the time he had punched Eddwrad with the same amount of emotion.

Sam turned around with a raised eyebrow as he heard Kevin's footsteps splash against small forming puddles. "Freckles, what are you—"

The freckled teen raised a fist to land a punch on the other's shoulder. "Fuck You!" he snarled out glaring the teen's dark eyes.

"Woah there!" Sam raised a hand in defeat as the other rubbed at his attacked shoulder. "What's got you all peeved love?"

"Fucking you! That's what!" Kevin shoved at the teen's chest harshly causing Sam to tip back a bit as he was still straddling his motorcycle. "YOU put Nazz in danger you fucking asshole, and now I can't contact Eddward or Ed! What the hell did you do to them?"

The pouring rain seemed to darken Sam's eyes more with the teen's accusation. He lowered his hand and stepped off his motorcycle. "Hey, Hey, Hey I did no such thing. What happened to Nazz was _not_ my fault"

"Then who the hell gave her the costume? Huh! Who the _fuck_ organized that fucked up party?" Kevin tried to shove the other once more but was stopped by the Sam gripping tightly to his wrists.

With a tighten to his grip Sam growled out "I wouldn't do that again if I were you, freckles"

Kevin pulled his hand back angrily "I'm not fucking scared of you" he tried landing another punch but Sam grabbed his arm and twisted it around to pin Kevin against the motorcycle. "Look, I just made a deal with Eddward and as much as it annoys me not being able to discipline you, I did make a promise that I will not break because of your childish remarks"

Kevin tried to pull himself up from his restrain but was unable to get away and angrily slumped against the motorcycle growling out curses. "What fucking deal did you two make?" he asked over his shoulder with a glare.

"He'll continue to work with me until I graduate, so until then _you_ better not get in my way" Sam released his hold on Kevin letting the other stand up again.

"…" Kevin bit his lip almost drawing blood "What's the point of hosting events? Why do you love to terrorize these kids? I can't let you hurt them" Kevin gestured to the high school as he felt other his hand reform a fist as his anger once again rose. Not even the coldness of the rain or breeze could cool him down.

With crossed arms Sam stared down at Kevin "You've always been like this, haven't you…Ever since I can remember you've always been so stubborn. Though, Jimmy told me of the frighten boy you used to be after they stared going after you. why were you scared? Why didn't you ever report us to the administration?" Sam was quiet as he waited for a baffled Kevin to respond.

"How were we supposed to? If we do anything you'll make was victims, we'll be in the hospital the second we try to do something about it. It's the fucked up dictatorship you managed to establish in Peach Creek that has the majority of students in fear. Their too scared to speak up because somehow you also managed to get the fucking principal in on it too and he sits there behind that fucking office door turning his head the other way pretending he doesn't hear the running footsteps of another target" Kevin spit out "WHY?"

Sam had no readable emotion on his face as he stared at Kevin "Because that's just how life is my dear. It's cruel and unfair"

"What?" Kevin looked perplexed "You shouldn't want to ruin other's lives because you believe in something so fucking pessimistic. These are kids we're talking about!"

"Freckles, if you think this is unfair then you don't know the half of it. I'm doing nothing wrong. Why do you think gangs are made? Everything I said to you in the factory I meant it. All who join seek something out of the membership. Everyone else is simply getting a reality check. The weak will perish out in the real world. If anything, I'm making all those kids in there stronger and more prepared. You should be thanking me" Sam gestured towards the school with a shrug.

"God…" Kevin rubbed his temple with a hand "What the actual fuck man…I can't…I can't seem to get you at all"

"I'm didn't ask you to"

"But, what makes you think it's OK to treat us like animals? Someone's is going to get really hurt because of you and only then will you finally be ruined Sam. If something happens to _anyone_ I'll personally be the one to report you. I don't care how rich your dad is, and I don't care how much power you hold. I'll take you down one way or another. I promised Nazz" Kevin shoved a finger in the other's direction.

Sam went silent for a moment seemingly in thought before letting out a laugh "You amuse me love, you really do. I see how you managed to mesmerize Eddward, you have passionate fire in you. Admirable, but it won't get you your end result." He leaned in closer and lowered his voice "Eddward belongs by my side, He'll leave you once he has his fun with you" Sam leaned back placing his hands in his pockets "Now, I would advise you to head back inside and leave Eddward alone for the time being. He has had a long night you see, besides, he may not be alone at the moment and I would not recommend being present. His father is a very…rigid man"

"His father…" Kevin whispered out in surprise. Now that was news as alarming…perhaps that was why Eddward wasn't answering his calls. But what about Ed? Sam then turned around leaving Kevin standing alone and headed inside the building.

Kevin stood in the rain unsure of what to think of Sam's words. It seemed that every time he spoke with the guy he only became more confused and could not simply pin point his motive. There had to be something else going on in that messed up head of his.

With crossed arms he looked back to the entrance hesitating heading over to Eddward's now. If the teen's parents were there with him then perhaps it really wouldn't be the best for him to be a bother. But where was Ed? He couldn't possibly be with Eddward could he?

Annoyed and still worried Kevin decided to head back inside the school with slumped shoulders hoping everything would be fine.

…

After school he decided to head over to Nazz's place to check up on her and hand her the assignments for her missed classes. He sat at the edge of her bed as she scrolled through her phone. "I don't know where Ed could be… he hasn't responded to my message from the morning either"

Kevin slumped looking down at his phone. "What if something happened?"

Nazz leaned forward placing a hand on his shoulder "Nothing happened Kevin, we were have heard about it already. You said you saw Sam right? Wouldn't he have mentioned something? Besides, they're both like twice our size and really strong, I'm sure they can handle each other"

"Ugh…I don't know maybe your right. But why haven't they contacted us? They never go this long without checking in…especially Eddward"

Nazz frowned looking at the anxious expression on her best friends face "Kevin…" she mumbled out placing her chin on his shoulder as she rubbed his arm "My Kevin…you care so much for him don't you?"

Kevin turned his head to meet the girls eyes "I care about you too…I care about everyone hurting in this stupid thing"

Nazz shook her head "That's not what I mean…" she whispered out softly with a frown. "Come here" she scooted over and tapped at the empty space. Kevin took off his jacket to lay down next to the girl feeling exhausted. She wrapped an arm around him "Let's forget about this for a moment ok?"

"ok…" Kevin pouted leaning into the girls embrace.

"Now, how's your mother?" she asked quietly.

"She's been fine. Told me she's going to have a huge exhibition soon for her photographs" the teen looked over to the window. "…she also wanted me to spend a weekend with her and her husband"

"And?" Nazz followed the other's gaze.

"I don't know, I kind of feel a bit weird about it. I love seeing her every other weekend, and I've met her husband a handful of times and he's a great dude. He gets along great with my dad actually." Kevin laughed "I just…" he shrugged unsure.

"Well, you won't know for sure until you try right?" Nazz gave him an encourage pat to his chest.

"Yeah, but I don't want to leave you alone" Kevin turned to face the girl "What if something happens when I'm away?"

Nazz pouted "Hey, I said no thinking about it. Besides, I have Ed who will look after me like a hawk" she giggled "…and as much as I dislike it, there is also Eddward who knows how angry you'll be if he doesn't protect me" she stuck her tongue out playfully "You have him wrapped around your finger, Kevin" she smiled tapping at his index finger.

Kevin chuckled "No I don't"

"You totally do!" the blonde girl yelp out with a laugh "Ask him to move a mountain and he will!"

"So you don't doubt him anymore?" Kevin smirked giving the girl a look.

"I said no such thing" Nazz turned her head away with a smile "…but I can recognize when someone cares a lot for someone else"

"…?" Kevin gave her a confused look as he waited for further explanation.

"I've been watching you…closely" she pressed her lips together leaning closer to the teen's side. "I see the way you look at him, Kevin" she met his eyes.

" _How_ do I look at him?" Kevin laughed out.

"With fondness, my Kevin" Nazz leaned closer to press a kiss to his cheek with a giggle.

That made Kevin nearly choke as he sat up and began laughing "You're being ridiculous. Did you hit your head? First you're completely against Eddward, now your insinuation that—that…" he flung his hands in the air.

"Am I wrong?" she teased sitting up with curiosity

"Yes!" Kevin exclaimed "First my dad now you? Where is this coming from?" he exhaled with a bright red face.

"Your dad?" Nazz laughed out "What did he say?"

"Nothing!" Kevin crossed his arms refusing to look at Nazz in the eye.

"Come on Kev! Teeeell meeee" Nazz sang out inching closer wiggling her fingers playfully.

"No, it's not important" Kevin leaned away.

"Kevin!" she sang before pouncing forward and tickling the freckled teen just below his left ear and on his waist where she knew his weakness were "Tell me!"

Kevin was in a fit of laughter rolling over into his side trying to cover his sensitive spots. "Noooo, it's embarrassing" he wheezed out lightly shoving her away.

"It can't be more embarrassing than the time I puked on my fourth grade crush!" She exclaimed out "come on"

"Ok ok ok I surrender!" Kevin wheezed out "it's not _that_ embarrassing" he giggled relieved once Nazz had stopped.

"Then, what did he say?" she sat back with a soft smile.

Kevin let out a long sigh looking up at the ceiling "Heaskedifilikedaguy" he quickly muttered out red faced once more.

"What?" she giggled out leaning forward with a hand at her ear "I didn't catch that"

"You totally did!" he exclaimed and when he saw she just raise an eyebrow he lowered his head onto the bed once more "I said…" he cleared his throat " He asked if I liked…a guy"

"Oh my goodness! And?" Nazz excitedly leaned forward.

"And nothing!" Kevin looked over to her "I don't like anyone ok"

"Kevin…" Nazz lowered her shoulders with a smile.

"It's true!" Kevin frowned "It's not like I have the mental capacity to like-like anyone at the moment. There's too much going on… I don't think about it at all, and I don't really hang out with anyone but the three of you. I already have too much on my plate I don't need another bowl of unnecessary anxiety in my life."

"But what if it's already right in front of you?" The girl innocently asked

"Nothing is right in front of me, Nazz" Kevin waved his hands in front of him "I'm not ready for anything with anyone. Besides, there isn't anyone who would want to date this pathetic human" he gestured to himself with a frown.

"Oh I can think of one…maybe" Nazz sighed out "Also, you shouldn't look at yourself like that. You would be a great boyfriend"

"Lies…nothing but lies" Kevin grumbled out with a shake of his head. "I'm nothing special, and there are better guys out there. Look at Eddward for example! If the option were between the two of us of course the person would pick him. He's great! 4.0 student, athlete, handsome, smart, you name it" he exclaimed.

"Terrible personality, but everyone has a taste I suppose" Nazz muttered out.

"He's not that bad" Kevin smiled over to her with a laugh.

"Of course _you_ would think that" she sighed "I still don't know what you see in him"

"Lies" Kevin giggled "You do, or else you wouldn't have stopped nagging me about it"

"Oh you!" Nazz reached for her pillow and threw it at Kevin who only laughed out. She shook her head with a soft smile "You are so much more special than you think Kevin. I'd pick you over everyone else any day"

"Thanks Nazz" Kevin giggled as the girl laid down next to him.

They stayed silent for some long couple of minutes listening to the rain outside. Kevin had wrapped an arm around Nazz as he thought. "Maybe after this is all over…maybe I can actually think about it then"

"Maybe" Nazz mumbled out drowsily.

…

* * *

 _ **I tried my best with editing but it's 3:30 am hahaha...ha I'll post before I hate everything as per usual XD**_

 _ _ **Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! :3**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 ** _Where do you think Eddward and Ed are up to? EDDWARD'S PARENTS?_**

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


	50. Chapter 50

_**I am alive!**_

 ** _I meant to update this before thanksgiving but uni has me super busy. Thankfully this week is finals week and i'll be able to write more!_**

 ** _Hope you all enjoy this chapter it's 15K! I didn't realize how long this was going to be until i was mid way haha_**

 ** _Anways enjoy teens being cute AF teens_**

* * *

Neither of the Ed's had contacted him nor Nazz during the rest of that day. This only worried Kevin and as he lay in his bed fully awake in the middle of the night he decided to go and check just to make sure everything was alright. His father was deeply sleeping and he knew his old man wouldn't hear him climb out of his window. He couldn't exactly leave through the front door because the door creaked and perhaps that would wake Tom Barr. What was he supposed to say?

Kevin rose, putting on jeans, a sweater and a hand me down jacket his father had gifted him in recent days. The nights had gotten very cold and rainy after October leaving the streets of peach creek eerily quiet. As he opened his bedroom window slowly he held his breath hoping he wouldn't slip then stepped out through his window and onto the roof of the lower floor . He looked over to the backyard having placed it there just before dinner in case he really decided to go out tonight. Edging closer to the edge of the roof he steadied himself with his heart in his throat. The jump down wasn't too bad but he still felt anxious about it, until he remembered Eddward holding his hand back at the waterfall before they had jumped together. He felt his chest tighten at the thought and Nazz's words came tumbling back into his mind.

With an inhale of breath he jumped off and rolled onto the grass. He gave a little chuckle knowing very well a year ago he wouldn't have done anything close to what he was doing now. Finally he stood fixing his glasses and pulled up the hood of the sweater. He grabbed his bicycle and opened the gate to his gate yard carefully and quietly locking it once again once he stepped out. As he came in front of the house he looked up to see if there was any signs his father had possibly heard and when the small house didn't light up he smiled mounting his bike and riding off onto the street.

The air was cold and he wished he would have been able to take his motorcycle instead. He frowned as the air felt like tiny needles stabbing his face. The town's streets were for the most part empty, only a handful of people roamed about. Kevin appreciated the quiet of the town, there was a certain hour during the night when it seemed like everything was turned off except for street lamps and somehow he took comfort in passing through these dimly lit streets. He did not, however, appreciate the cold air hitting his face. When he finally arrived at Eddward's home he couldn't feel most of his face.

He wiped his runny nose on the sleeve of his hoodie and dropped the bike on the yard. He pressed his hand to his face and breathed out warm air hoping to warm up his face. As Kevin wondered onto the houses steps he couldn't help but linger behind hesitantly unsure if it was alright to knock… it didn't seem like Eddward's parents were around the house instead it looked like it always did.

Yet, it didn't seem like Eddward was home either and that thought made him move. He stepped up to the door and knocked as he anxiously waited for some kind of response. For a long time, he didn't hear anything and he stepped closer pressed his ear to the door as he knocked once again louder this time. He knew where Eddward kept a spare key, but in case the teen's parents were home he didn't want to intrude. Minutes later, he finally heard lazy footsteps coming down the stairs and he quickly stepped back hoping it would be his familiar raven haired swimmer to answer the door.

Kevin let out a long exhale out as he saw a sleepy Eddward peek out. "Kevin?" Eddward rubbed his eyes before opening the door fully and now more awake stared at the red nosed ginger boy in front of him. "What are you doing here?" he looked around with a frown as if noticing what time it was "…it's so late"

The smaller boy relaxed with a smile on his face as he saw the complete mess of dark hair the other wore "I…I was worried about you." he confessed pressing his lips together looking down "You never answered when I called or messaged so… I panicked"

With a soft smile Eddward reached for Kevin and lead him inside closing the door behind them. The house was extremely dark when the taller teen closed the door but Kevin could still see Eddward rub at his face seemingly still disoriented. Kevin felt a bit guilty waking him up now "Sorry…I know it's really late. I should let you sleep, this can wait" he made to move towards the door but was stopped by a gentle hand on his chest.

"No…it's alright. I've been asleep for most of the day actually" he smiled down "Also, I apologize for not answering, my phone's been out of battery. I completely forgot to charge it before passing out"

Kevin moved closer to look up at the other's face "Are you ok?"

"..." Eddward stared down at the freckled teen's face contemplating for a moment in the quiet dark hallway of the entrance. "…I'm ok" he gave the smaller teen a somber smile.

Kevin frowned knowing something was wrong. Eddward wasn't one to be out of contact with him. "I thought something had happened because you, Ed, nor the J's were at school today. Sam was the only one who showed up"

"Did he say anything to you?" Kevin saw Eddward tense at Sam's name.

Kevin gave the other a stern look "Yeah, he did actually" he crossed his arms, his weight on one leg "He said the two of you made a deal. He said that you would be working with him until the end of this school year…What the fuck Eddward?"

The raven haired teen rubbed at his face once more with a sigh "Look, I can explain"

"Please do. Because it's baffling how you could agree to stay with him after what he did to Nazz" Kevin accused with hurt in his face "He's manipulating you again"

Eddward slumped against the wall crossing his arms "Look, after this school year is up it's all going to end. Sam is moving on to work with his older brother after high school and he knows the gang here won't be sustainable after he's gone. The gang is made up of mere kids, it's going to end as soon as Sam leaves them. Besides Sam has promised to not hurt you, Nazz or Ed as long as I stay. The J's won't come anywhere near you all."

"What about Jimmy! What about Johnny? What about all the other kids who want to take over the gang? It's not going to end Eddward, it's never going to end like this. What about _you_?" Kevin yelped out "Do you trust Sam to keep his promise? Because frankly, I think he's lying. Just how do you expect me to trust this son of a bitch that has hurt Nazz? The psychotic bastard that's been using _you_ this entire time?"

"Even after he leaves… _This_ won't end Eddward. There is still going to be someone leading, maybe the gang won't be a big as it is now, but it'll still be there" Kevin felt his shoulders slouch "You know as well as I do Jimmy is going to be the one to take over. He's going to go after you. After all of us. He has money to get the job done"

"Kevin" Eddward shoulder slumped "Jimmy doesn't have the power that Sam has. We'll be alright. Sam has connections and influences that Jimmy doesn't. The guy's parents don't know what he is up to; their just rich suckers that get him out of trouble. If we get Sam on our side, we'll be fine. Ed and I will be alright."

"That bastard doesn't deserve to be on our side! What happens if he backstabs you! Ed is right, we need to end it completely. Sam included" Kevin stated firmly with clenched fists. He couldn't forgive the asshole who dared to lay a hand on Nazz. He couldn't, wouldn't, depend on Sam"

"You do realize what that means right?" Eddward frowned down holding Kevin's stare with fixed blue eyes. "There is no way we can take down Sam. The moment we turn _against_ him, he'll have our asses. He is the _son_ of a _crime lord_ Kevin! I can promise you the end of the gang after Sam leaves, but not before. We need him"

"…we…we can figure out s-somethingout!" Kevin began enraged that Sam could get away from his wrong doings "I-I-I can't _accept_ that he can get away from this!"

"No, if you want to take Sam and the gang down… That includes me as well. I've done horrible things Kevin, things that are not excusable. The police won't overlook my history with the gang just because you ask them to" Eddward finally stepped forward "I'm not…I'm not against paying the consequences for my actions because…I deserve it. If you want this all to end…then I'll go. I'll go turn myself in and tell them everything after making _sure_ Sam and Jimmy won't come after the three of you but it is a high risk."

"No! No no no that's _not_ what I want Eddward!" Kevin frantically yelped out feeling desperate to rip away the idea from Eddward's head. The smaller boy stared at the other with a panicked expression for a long time before looking down feeling at a loss of breath and mind filled with frustrated screaming. This was definitely not how he had expected this night to go when he had decided to come by. The mere thought about seeing Eddward's life ruined because of him tore Kevin apart. He didn't know what he wanted any more he…he just wanted to run away and take Eddward with him far, far away from everything. He reached up to hide his frustration in his freckled hands. He didn't want Eddward to sacrifice himself for the well-being of everyone and he wanted Sam to suffer the consequences. Yet, Eddward was only giving him two options and as much anger as it brought him to have to leave Sam free he wanted Eddward to stay by his side.

Lowering his hands he placed his forehead on Eddward's chest as he silently cried from the mixed emotions. He was angry and disappointed that Eddward had made a deal with Sam, and he was fearful about what Sam had in store for Eddward now. Surely Sam must have something in mind if he wanted Eddward to stay. Kevin was a little relieved that Nazz and Ed weren't targets anymore but he didn't know how long that would last and he was petrified with what Eddward had suggested to do to resolve everything…

Never, would Kevin allow for such a thing to happen. The small freckled teen wrapped his arms around the other's waist and held _tightly_ onto Eddward breathing slowly to calm himself down. He could feel the other's warmth as he pressed himself closer but a surge of panic crawled up his spine when he didn't feel Eddward hug him back. "Tell me what you want Kevin" Eddward's voice came out low and husky.

The smaller teen buried himself as much as he could onto the other until it hurt to press any closer, yet Eddward's arms remained at his side. The tone behind the questioned forced him to look up with glazed eyes and met those heart breaking ocean eyes "I…I don't want to see you get hurt by this…I don't _trust_ him not to hurt you"

With a sad frown Eddward leaned down and finally… _finally_ wrapped his arms around him holding him just as tightly that Kevin could feel an overwhelming sense of relief and security from it. He's frantic mind calmed down when Eddward lifted his head and pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead just as he had done to the swimmer before and whispered out "Then, please just trust _me_ "

"I do…I do trust you" the freckled teen whimpered out grabbing tightly onto the other's shirt. "I'm just…" he pressed his forehead onto the other's shoulder "I'm just so tired of this Eddward, I'm…scared for you"

"I know" Eddward cooed running a hand through the other's short orange hair "I'm tired too, but this is almost over…7 more months ok?" he reached to delicately cup the freckled teen face with his slender hands and made Kevin look up at him "…" Eddward looked down sadly with observant eyes as he scanned the smaller teen face "I haven't seen you with a bruise since the summer…" he held the others face a little tighter "I plan on keeping it that way…I'll fix everything ok? I promise, just be patient with me"

Something in Kevin sank from those tender words. Eddward meant it…The smaller teen could tell because the other's words were in a way dominating but protecting. Those ocean eyes stared down at him in an overwhelming manner and if he stared back for too long he knew he would be lost. Ripping his eyes away he seemed to want to melt into the other and with a surrendering frown Kevin snaked his arms around the other's shoulders "If Sam tries anything against you, I'm going to fucking kill him" he muttered out.

This made Eddward laugh out and tightened his hold on Kevin. "You've become so brave pumpkin"

"Thanks to you" Kevin gave a smirk feeling a flush on his cheeks at the nickname and suddenly became hyper aware of their snug embrace but he pushed those awkward feelings away. They just cared for each other like he cared for Nazz. It was the same thing. "I just wish there was something _I_ could do"

"Well for one thing, you could try and stay out of trouble" Eddward chuckled out breathlessly tightening his hold on Kevin and Kevin laughed out too.

The house was cold, it always was but somehow the small space that they occupied seemed to be warm and comforting. Kevin could almost fall asleep leaning against the others from the soothing breathing of the raven haired teen. It was astounding how perfectly he seemed to fit in Eddward's hold now that he had grown a bit taller. A small smile escaped him at the thought…so many things had changed in such a small amount of time. After long minutes of just holding onto each other in the quiet hallway, Kevin finally pulled back from the embrace. "I…I should go" he whispered out.

Eddward frowned a hand still lingering to hold the freckled teens waist "…Won't you stay?"

Looking up at those puppy eyes Kevin felt his chest tighten "W-we have class tomorrow…I left my stuff b-back home" he stuttered out feeling the warmth spread throughout his cheeks.

"I can drive you home in the morning before school starts" Eddward tilted his head to the side

"W-What about my d-dad?" Kevin looked down feeling embarrassed.

"He won't know you're gone if we get you home early enough" Eddward chuckled out at the teen's adorable hesitance.

Kevin looked up hoping Eddward couldn't see his reddened face in the darkness. He nodded with a simple "ok" and took hold of the athlete's hand.

With triumphant bright eyes Eddward smiled and lead Kevin up the stairs to his room. He gave the teen a pair of sweatpants and they laid down on the bed in silence. Then Kevin looked up to meet those beautiful blue orbs "Hey…just one more thing"

"What is it?" Eddward raised an eyebrow curiously

"Why were you sleeping all day? Did you not sleep at all the night before?" Kevin asked worried it could be the nightmares again.

Eddward smirked as he closed his eyes "Yeah, something like that…I've been getting sick for a while and I just didn't feel that great" he lied…well it wasn't entirely a lie but he didn't want to worry Kevin anymore and wanted the teen to be at ease. So, he reach forward and soothingly caressed the other's warm freckled cheeks. Eddward would tell him what had happened later the next day, but not now. Now he wanted them to be stress free and able to relish the other's company.

When Eddward had arrived home from the officer's station, he had had a moment of panic wondering if his parents would show up. A childish desire of seeing them again overwhelmed him but he knew better. The lack of sleep and oncoming headache lured him into his bed as he threw his dead phone on the bedside and closed his eyes repressing his want. He had woken up in the middle of the day and found the house still just as quiet and forced himself to fall back asleep fearful of what he would do if he was awake. Until he had heard Kevin's knock at the door hours later.

Eddward ran a finger right under the teen's left ear where he had come to notice Kevin squirm a bit every time. With a soft smile he watched Kevin's face redden as his eyes shut tightly from the touch. "…Now you really look like a pumpkin, pumpkin" he teased.

Kevin reach to grab the other's hand to stop his touch and opened his eyes with a pout "Fuck you" he mumbled out feeling embarrassed.

The raven haired teen laughed at this looking over at Kevin with a big smile and tender eyes and Kevin couldn't help but remember Nazz's words again… _"With fondness, my Kevin_ "

The freckled teen breathed in holding tightly to the other's hand and closing his eyes pushing down those thoughts…it was stupid to think of such stupid things. _"But what if it's already right in front of you?"_

Nothing was in front of him

…right?

He opened his eyes to find Eddward had now closed his eyes and had leaned in a bit closer as well, yet the smile remained and hand continued to cup his cheek despite Kevin's hold on it. He felt tears build up again at the corners of his eyes but he repressed them desperate to not stir the other. Why was it so easy for him to cry in front of Eddward? Why did he even want to cry right _now_? Nazz had just put in unnecessary thoughts into his mind and it was messing him up. There was no time for stupid things like that, not that he even desired it…nothing was in front of him. He closed his eyes dropping his hold on Eddward's hand feeling ashamed to have even thought about…it. Nazz's intuition was wrong. There wasn't anything of the sort building between him and...There possibly couldn't be…it's was impossible, he knew it was.

He decided to focus on the warm hand on his cheek to lull him to sleep trying his hardest to let his mind go blank.

" _I see the way you look at him, Kevin"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

Was it really that impossible?

…

The next morning was quiet yet rushed as they had woken up a bit later than they were planning to. They had run around the house hoping Kevin's father hadn't woken up yet and Eddward still in his sweats and a sweatshirt now drove to the east side of town to drop Kevin off. The freckled teen had left his bike at Eddward's place and would go back later that day to pick it up. The sun was only just rising up as they drove through the quiet town. Eddward parked his car round the corner of the cul-de-sac and walked over with Kevin.

The smaller teen had explained that he needed help climbing onto the rooftop to get to his open window since the front door creaked. They quietly walked around to the side of the house where Kevin's bedroom window thankfully remained open and everything seemed to be quiet meaning his father hadn't woken up yet. He looked around the cul-de-sac hoping there were no witnesses. Eddward had wrapped his arms the teen's legs lifting him up easily and thankfully Kevin was able to grab ahold of the roof to lift himself up. Once he successfully climbed onto the roof he peeked back down smiling at Eddward and mouthed a thank you before waving and crawling back through his window.

He watched Eddward walk away and out of sight with a soft smile on his face. As he closed the window he heard the door open behind him. "Kevin?…You're already dressed?" His father questioned him with raised eyebrows.

Kevin felt his heart skip in panic "Y-yeah, I uh…I couldn't really sleep last night so…I just decided to get up already" he shrugged.

His father walked over to the window and peeked outside "…Seems pretty cold today, might want to wear a scarf too kiddo"

"Will do dad" Kevin turned to grab his backpack and place his notebook inside.

"Ok then" Kevin's father reached to ruffle his son's hair "You might also want to comb this mess of hair" he chuckled walking out of the room.

Kevin reached up to hide his face in his hands as his dad closed the door. Did he know? He really hoped he hadn't figured it out…what was he going to say? With a sigh he finished getting ready before heading downstairs.

His father had offered to drive him to school and as they drove through the quiet town Kevin couldn't help but stare out the window. He could feel his father wanting to say something and he supposed it was because he knew he had snuck out. This was a trap of course. There was no better place to interrogate him than in the car where he couldn't run away.

They reached the school and as Kevin was about to open the door his father spoke up "Kid"

Kevin turned around holding his breath "Yeah?"

"You're not so great at being secretive about sneaking out" he chuckle out. Kevin frowned with a soft groan. Yup…he was caught. "Where did you go?"

"I…I um…" he pressed his lips together still unsure of how to answer the question. He really didn't want his dad to think Eddward was bad influence or anything.

"And don't say you went to see Nazz, because I know you were there earlier that day" Kevin's father looked at him with a smirk. "I'm not mad kid, I know you didn't do anything bad. I just want to know what or who was so important you had to sneak out in the middle of the night?" he reached out to lightly grab Kevin's nose and shake it like he used to do when Kevin was in elementary.

"Daaaaad" Kevin whined out pulling back. He frowned looking down as his hold on his backpack tightened. "I…" he pressed his lips together "I went over to Eddward's" he confessed.

"What for?"

Damn it…Kevin couldn't meet his dad's stare. He knew his father just wanted the truth, but obviously he couldn't exactly do that. "He hasn't been f-feeling all that well recently and I just wanted to check up on him"

"That couldn't have waited until morning?"

"…no…" Kevin mumbled out.

"Aren't his parents' home to look after him?" Tom quietly continued to ask with his hand holding onto the steering wheel of the truck,

"…They've been away on a business trip"

"Again?" Kevin could feel the disapproving frown on his father's face.

"He didn't show up yesterday and it's unlike him so…" Kevin shrugged.

"Fine, we'll talk about this later you should get to class" Tom shook his head with a frusterated frown "What kinds of parents leave their kid alone so often" he muttered out angrily.

"Ok" Kevin opened the door and stepped out. _You have no idea dad…_

"One more thing" Kevin's dad peek out "When he's feeling better, invite him over for dinner will ya?"

"Will do dad…" he gave his old man a small smile before closing the door and letting out a sigh as he turned to walk up the stairs.

…

Kevin did feel a bit lonesome without Nazz around and Ed still wasn't answering him. He would mention it to Eddward when he saw him during their first class together. However, to his disappointment as he entered first period he found Eddward wasn't in class once again. With confusion he took a seat looking out to see if he saw Eddward's black car and just as he sighed and heard the bell ring he received a message from the swimmer. [Won't be in class for a couple of days. I'll explain later]

 _What?_ Kevin grabbed his backpack and rushed out of the classroom ignoring the teacher's bark. What was going on? Eddward had said he would be here so why wasn't he here. The freckled teen rushed through the school and as he did he spotted the J's in the east hallway with nasty scowls on their faces. Kevin had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach as he passed them hoping they wouldn't chase after. As he approached the entrance he spotted him with the familiar black stripped beanie once more. "Eddward!"

The raven haired teen turned around his hands in his pockets with raised eyebrows. "You're supposed to be in class"

"So are you" Kevin breathed out coming to a stop in front of him "What's going on?"

Eddward looked around before spotting something behind them. He gave a menacing scowl as he straightened taller in a defensive stance. Then he motioned with his head for Kevin to follow before walking out of the school.

With a confused expression Kevin looked behind as he exited as well noticing Jimmy watching them with a glare. Something seemed to swell inside him knowing Jimmy had just spotted them together and he turned back nervously but remembered about Eddward's deal with Sam. They couldn't do anything to them. Sam would have their heads because he valued Eddward too much. "Eddward?" he called out softly gripping the strap to his bag tightly to his chest feeling just a bit more pleased at this turn of events.

The taller teen looked back for a second reaching for Kevin's hood and pulled it up over the ginger's hat seeing it was softly sprinkling. "Come on" he whispered out walking towards the side of the school where there was a small section of forestry.

Kevin looked up to the school building remembering it had been the side where Eddward had carried him up to watch the sunset so long ago. There was a fence around the school so students wouldn't go wondering into the forest but there was a locked gate many students easily picked opened or would climb over. Eddward had pulled out a key and opened the lock making Kevin question where and how he had gotten the key from but of course it must have been due to Sam's influence.

Finally Eddward came to a stop just a bit into the trees where they were out of sight yet the building was still in view. He leaned up against a tree and breathed out watching the condensation drift. "I was going to tell you later today…" he sighed placing his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"What is it?" Kevin frowned looking up hoping to meet the other's eyes.

He groaned out a bit "Look don't freak out on me, but…" he finally looked up to meet concerned olive green eyes "The police showed up at my place Sunday night-"

"What!" Kevin yelped out "Oh my god I knew it!"

"Kevin" Eddward reached to grab the smaller teen by the shoulders "Its fine, its resolved ok. I just went in to talk to the principal and he's suspending me for the week. That's it"

"That's it my ass, that's why Sam made a deal with you right? You called him to help you out" Kevin frowned pointing at the beanie.

"I had to…besides it was Eddy's fault" Eddward sighed out shoving his hands into his jacket's pocket once more.

"…well, are you ok? What happened?" Kevin leaned in closer a freckled hand tugging at the dark red hoodie Eddward wore under the jacket.

"I'm fine Kevin" Eddward smiled softly "I just spent the night at the station until Sam came in the morning"

"That's why you didn't sleep at all huh?" the freckled teen gave him a sad frown until he remembered Sam mentioning Eddward's parents were in town. "…did your parents show up?" he cautiously asked. Eddward stared down with raised eyebrows in surprise "S-Sam mentioned them…" he quickly added.

"Oh…um y-yeah…well, father was the one who spoke with the sheriff but I didn't…see him" the raven haired teen mumbled out looked down at the freckled hand holding onto him.

"…" Kevin frowned then remembered what his father had asked him and wondered if it was alright to invite him over. "um…about this morning" he nervously chuckled out. The raven haired teen stayed silent waiting for the red faced ginger to explain. "My d-dad totally knew I snuck out last night" He gave the other a wary smile.

Eddward frowned "I'm sorry I didn't meant for you to get in trouble"

"No, I'm not in trouble. It's ok…um" Kevin pulled his hand back crossing his arms in nervousness. "He's also wanted to uh…have you over for dinner sometime. My m-mom actually wants to meet you too. She wants to thank you for helping me out this summer…you know?" Kevin shrunk into his hoodie unable to look up knowing his face was completely red. "I mean um you don't have to come if you don't want to—"

Eddward let out a soft chuckle making Kevin finally look up "It's…it's alright…It would be rude of me to turn down the offer every time…"

The freckled teen could tell the other was nervous at the idea but he felt relieved to know he would come "Is Friday good?"

Once Eddward nodded Kevin smiled up and they lingered a while longer in that spot waiting for the bell to ring indicating the end of the first class. Kevin had mentioned that he wasn't able to get ahold of Ed since the day before which concerned Eddward. The raven haired teen then promised to go over to Ed's home to figure out what was happening. As they heard the bell ring, Eddward walked Kevin back to the entrance of the school and waved goodbye. The swimmer waited until the other had entered the school before turning around and making his way to his car ignoring the soft whispering and gasps of students who were shocked to see their short interaction. Idiots…

…

Eddward had pulled up to Ed's small home find the brunette's bike thrown on the front yard. There were no signs of anyone being home really and that concerned him, so he rushed out of his car and to the front door. With some anxious couple of knocks he stood hoping to hear movement inside but he heard nothing.

He knocked once more crossing his arms wondering where the tall brunette could be if not home. Yet, he finally heard his friend's voice call out from within "Coming!"

Ed peeked through the side of the window and jumped at seeing Eddward standing there. Quickly he opened the door revealing a messy haired Ed wearing an oversized sweater and pajama pants. "Double D! You're ok" he breathed out in relief.

Eddward frowned watching as his friend displayed an exhausted expression. Ed's eyes were slightly puffy with huge eye bags under them as if he hadn't slept in days. "Ed…are you alright?" he asked quietly.

"um…y-yeah?" Eddward always knew Ed was a terrible liar and when he heard the boy's response he's frown deepened.

"You have skipped two days of school now, and you haven't been answering your phone. What's wrong?" Eddward spoke sympathetically knowing something was definitely wrong to get Ed this upset.

With a tired sigh the tall brunette stepped aside letting the other in before responding. "Sorry…um" he began closing the door and making his way into the living room and grabbing a blanket from the couch as he wrapped it around himself. "Something came up for me too"

Eddward could see and hear the vulnerability behind those brown eyes and stale voice. "Did something with Sarah's condition?" he quietly asked taking a seat next to the taller teen who was slouched on the couch avoiding eye contact. "Ed…you can talk to me"

The boy had seemed to sink further into the couch and pulled the blanket closer to his body. Finally after a long pause of silence Ed looked up tears filling his eyes and a weak smile on his face "…she…she _finally_ opened her eyes" he let out a breathy chuckle "finally…" he repeated once more seemingly in disbelief himself.

"That's great news Ed" Eddward leaned forward placing a hand on his shoulder however he failed to see the problem.

Ed continued on as the blanket fell slightly from his form "W-when she woke up…she didn't recognize me and then she went all hysterical" he held his breath for a moment remembering the night "She was screaming and crying so much it _hurt_ to watch and I wasn't unable to help her in any way" he pressed his lips into deep frown "I wish I could do something for her"

The raven haired teen's shoulders dropped with understanding and reached over to supportively place a hand on his friends shoulder once more "As horrible as it is now, this is progress Ed. She'll recover her memory in due time. Her behavior is a response to the terrible tragedy that occurred. All you can do to help her at this moment is grant her your patience. She needs you now more than ever."

Ed made eye contact and for the first time that morning since Eddward had arrived the brunette seemed to feel more relaxed. "Thank Double D" Ed spoke out softly with a small honest smile.

…

Nazz had returned to school mid-week, though truthfully she had tried to fake sickness to try and continue to skip school for a couple more days. For the first time in a long time she truly felt terrified of going to school, because it meant she would have to face her attackers. She would have to see them and pretend like they hadn't kidnapped her, like they hadn't planned on doing something horrific. There wasn't anything she could do, but push forward.

Thankfully, Ed and Kevin were with her for most of the day and even Eddward offered to drive her in the morning to school and allow her to linger inside the car when she saw Jimmy at the front of the entrance. She appreciated that Eddward helped her and even though their drives were mostly silent there was a sense of comfort in the company she hadn't felt before. Ever so slowly she was beginning to see what her dear Kevin saw and she smiled at the thought. She appreciated that the boys would try their best in helping her avoid bumping into the J's. However, on the occasion that she did she would stare down at the ground and hold her breath blocking out their voices.

She hated it…she hated feeling weak…feeling so petrified.

She slowly roamed through the hallway as her injured foot still hurt a bit making her way to the restroom. Crossing her arms she pulled her oversized sweater closer to her form feeling cold from the ventilation that the school just wouldn't seem to fix. With a frown she thought perhaps she shouldn't have left her coat in her locker.

Reaching the rest room she stood in front of the mirror for a minute looking herself over. Her blonde hair was a mess so she tried to tame it down with some water and ran her fingers through her hair combing the locks. She had never been one to appreciate long hair but as she looked over her hair that now passed her shoulders she couldn't help but smile. With a sigh she pulled back her hair into a low ponytail and finished up.

Returning back to class proved to be a challenge as she reached stairs. Nazz gave a small whine knowing it would definitely hurt more than it did walking up. She definitely hadn't planned about going down the stairs.

"Need help love?"

Nazz's eyes opened wide as she gasped out loudly turning around to see Sam leaning against the railing with his chin propped against a hand. Without thinking, she took a step back forgetting the stairs making her trip but she saw Sam rush over to grab a hold of her before she went rolling down.

"Woah there" Sam chuckled out "Clumsy one aren't you"

"L-let me go" Nazz pushed away feeling a sense of panic consume her.

"If I do that then you'll roll down the stairs, and you would have a nastier injury to worry about" The teen smiled down at the trembling girl in his arms.

"I don't need your help" she barked out angrily

"Oh?" With a raised eyebrow Sam let go of Nazz for a second who immediately reached for him to hold onto. "You were saying?"

"Fuck you" Nazz muttered out with clenched teeth.

"Perhaps another time love" The blonde winked before straightening and picking up a red faced Nazz up princess style.

"I can walk down on my own damn it" The blonde girl protested as Sam ever so slowly made his way down the steps.

"Oh, I know you can and if you were anybody else then I would have let you _but_ …" He paused raising an eyebrow as he made eye contact with Nazz's panicked ones. "I think you've suffered enough"

Nazz sighed out annoyed at the other's attention which only served to remind her of what he had told her back at the house party. "Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly.

Sam chuckled "Your foot is still bothering you obviously"

"No, that's not what I mean" The girl frowned giving the other a glare "You let me and the others go Halloween night and now this? What's your deal?" As soon as the teen took the last step of stairs Nazz squirmed away from his hold.

With a smirk Sam stepped closer towards Nazz and tilted his head down "I thought I made myself clear that night"

"I don't believe you" She continued to step away "I know there's something you want, and I want to know what that is?"

"I want you love" Sam stated coming to a stop and shoving his hands into his jacket.

Nazz held her breath in surprise. She just couldn't believe the lies this guy was saying "You actually think I would consider? I _despise_ you! Just makes you think I would want to be with someone as _atrocious_ as you?" she shook her head in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm _very_ well aware of that sweetheart" He reached out to grab her by the waist and pull her close "You just need to get to know me and mark my words Nazz Van Bartonshmeer, in due time you'll change your mind"

"Never" She barked out feeling brave once more and tried pushing away once more but Sam's hold was tight.

With a smirk Sam spoke out in a low husky voice "Alright love, it's a bet. How about I take you out Friday evening?"

The blonde girl made a disgusted face "How about you don't"

That made Sam laugh and then reach to cup the girl's head so she wouldn't move and kissed her cheek making Nazz yelp out. "I'll pick you up at 7:30"

"No absolutely not! I won't go anywhere with you" Nazz yelled out as she squirmed her way out of Sam's grasp.

Sam chuckled backing away "Yes you will" he sang out placing his hands in his jacket once more.

"No, I won't" She placed her hands on her hips angrily

"I'll drag you out if I have to" The tall blonde turned around and waved a hand in the air "I'll see you around love" he called out.

Nazz stood in the hallway absolutely stunted by the turn of events. "Sam!" she yelled out frantically "…mother fucker"

…

"Perhaps this Italian carved chair may be within your interest sir" Eddward led one of their regular costumer through the store approaching a chair that had been carved to be of an exotic bird. The older man nodded stepping closer to inspect the chair with care and hummed in approval. Eddward watched the man thinking hard about if the chair was worth it but at the same time his attention was pulled by something else.

The week had gone by rather quickly and the only thing he truly had in mind was Kevin's dinner invitation. He had interacted with Tom Barr on a handful of occasions, so he wasn't so nervous about talking with the man. Of course, he did still feel undeserving of being welcomed so warmly by Kevin's father. If Tom knew what Eddward had done…he wouldn't ever be forgiven. Yet, it was meeting Kevin's mother that truly had him on edge. The athlete felt a careful hand on his back catching his attention.

Ms. Adams offered him a tender smile as she looked up at him as if knowing there was something Eddward was hiding. "Would you be a dear and fetch the metal box from the back? I'll finish this" she whispered the last part with a playful sparkle in her eyes.

Eddward nodded knowing the woman was great at selling and would in no time get the man to buy the most expensive antique in the store if she so wished. "Excuse me" he politely spoke noticing the man giving no care to him and wondered into the back.

As he stepped through the hanging fabric he let out a small sigh with a frown. His glance wondered to the clock on the wall which read 5:05 pm. Eddward had given a brief explanation to Ms. Adams about his suspension and had asked to come in earlier in the day for the week. She had given him a frown but did not ask about the detail of why he had gotten suspended. The woman had only offered a warning "You must learn your actions _always_ have some sort of consequence my dear Eddward"

Finally Eddward ripped his eyes from the clock and went to find the metal box the woman had asked for. He found the small box was at the top of the shelves and turned to grab a small stood hidden in the corner. As he reached up for the box Ms. Adams stepped through the fabric. "Already?" he asked baffled about how fast the woman worked her magic.

This made the woman laugh as she placed her hands on her hips "You underestimate my skills"

"Not at all, I'm just astonished at how quickly you sold that chair" Eddward chuckled out softly bringing the box down with him as he stepped of the stool. "It hasn't even been 5 minutes"

"Well, he'll be back tomorrow to pick it up, for now we got ourselves a big sale" Ms. Adams grabbed a small paper they would place on items that had been sold yet left to be picked up another time and filled it out.

The raven haired teen placed the box on the counter "Here's the box you asked"

"Thank you" Ms. Adams smiled reaching for the box. Before Eddward could step back out to the front of the store the woman spoke out quietly "Eddward"

Eddward stopped in his tracks raising an eyebrow in question as he remained silent waiting for the woman to continue. She tilted her head to the side as her eyes watched him with curiosity "I'm not one to stick my nose where I shouldn't but…" she paused smiling up "…I care about you a lot and I can tell when something is bothering you dear. Mind telling me what that is?"

This made Eddward panic and tense a moment as he tried to figure out what to say. "It's…um it's truly nothing Ann"

His response made Ms. Adams giggle "Sweetheart, it can't be just nothing if it's been bothering you for days. I haven't seen you this anxious since the summer when you had to meet Kevin's father."

At that Eddward glance lowered down and this little action did not go unnoticed by Ms. Adams who relaxed upon figuring it out. "Ah, is it about his parents?" the woman had been told the Barr drama long ago by Kevin one day when he had visited. The woman had helped the freckled teen sort out some complicated feelings when Liz had started to visit weekends.

Knowing there was no lying to Ms. Adams, Eddward slouched his shoulders and looked toward the side not wanting to meet the woman's amused eyes. "My, why hasn't your mother given you a pep talk yet" she laughed out.

With a small sad smile Eddward breathed out "She's…She's a rather busy woman"

"Too busy for her own son?" Ms. Adams frowned disapproving of what he had said. "A good mother always has time for their children"

Catching this Eddward looked up meeting her eyes "She's good" he lied. The simple two words he had spoken seemed to choke his lungs in a painful grip. Well…at least the memory of her before she left was good.

"hm" the woman hummed out motioning for him to take a seat on the small stool as she sat on a wooden chair. Eddward did as he was told and sat down feeling nervous now from the incoming talk with Ms. Adams. He knew if she pried far enough she would be able to read through his lies and have him confessing everything to her in no time. He wondered what she would think of him then. He had grown up distrusting adults but the woman had snuck up on him and before he knew it he was caring for her. Losing her from his life would be absolutely heartbreaking. "I don't know what it's been for you growing up, but…" she paused reaching a hand out to hold one of Eddward's "Despite your mother's busy schedule, I am certain she loves you unconditionally" she gave him a warm smile that made Eddward's heart ache. "You are a good person Eddward" she squeezed his hand.

He resisted the tears threatening to build. The woman had no idea how hurtful her words were because he knew for a fact his mother did not love him and that he wasn't a good person either. He was loathed by the woman who had birthed him. "…I know she does" he spoke out quietly looking down at their hands masking his emotions behind a smile.

"Now, what about Kevin's parents' has you troubled?" she let go of his hand and gave him a pat to his knees leaning back onto the chair.

He resisted a groan as he raised a hand to rub at his face feeling overwhelmingly embarrassed. "They uh… they invited me to dinner tonight" he pressed his lips feeling a flush of warmth consume his cheeks and ears.

With a small chuckled the woman leaned forward once more "Does this mean you've been nervous all week about tonight?" she waited quietly with an amused smile on her lips for Eddward to finally nod in confirmation still not meeting her eyes. "Oh my sweet boy, there's _nothing_ to be nervous about hun. Why are you nervous?" she tilted her head hoping to catch the other's eye.

Eddward shrugged now playing with his fingers which made the woman look at him with endearment. "Goodness, you boys are going to be the end of me" she breathed out with a small laugh. This made the athlete finally look up to Ms. Adams in confusion. She shook her head and took hold of his hand "Should I do another palm reading then?" she turned his hand and dragged her thumb across his palm as if wiping away the walls of his hesitance to find the answer to her question. "Let me see" she tilted her head once more and hummed "Tell me, are you afraid of them?"

"…" Eddward stayed silent unsure of how to answer her question. He wasn't necessarily afraid like when he was going to meet Tom for the first time but rather afraid of Kevin's mother. He was afraid Kevin's mother would ask too many questions he didn't know how to answer, he was afraid of her finding out of what he did to their son. Eddward was afraid of the guilty feeling he knew he would experience having to pretend like everything was perfect. The idea that he had to meet their expectations and face their judgment was terrifying. He didn't want to meet her afraid she would remind him of his own absent mother. He was fond of the idea of a mother, especially one who had left her child behind "Perhaps…"

"Do you remember what I told you when you were going to meet Mr. Barr" Ms. Adams waited patiently.

"You told me to face my fears" he responded in a low voice

"Indeed I did. Now, I presume that your fear of them has something _more_ attached that you're not telling me." She raised an eyebrow and continued to speak "Yet, you care for Kevin enough to face those fears and may I remind you that you survived the first time. I'm certain you'll survive once more. They seem like good people so you don't have anything to be nervous about it's not like you've done anything to harm Kevin" she laughed out.

The woman's words burned him like fire. He felt as if a knife just kept stabbing him from each little chuckle she had let out after that sentence. There was a truth Ms. Adams wasn't aware of and it hurt him to know she idealized him. He wasn't worthy…it wasn't right.

"On the contrary, you have helped him. I'm sure they are pleased to know their son has a friend like you, Eddward" She smiled up at him "I find you to be a charming young man despite your independent and quiet nature, and I _know_ they will too. If they invited you it's because they want to get to know you, not to intimidate you my boy"

Eddward didn't know how the woman did it, but every time they had small talks like these she always seemed to ease his worries. He was afraid of adults…afraid of mothers but sometime throughout the year from when he met Ms. Adams he desperately wished he had been blessed to have her as a mother. She was truly a beautiful woman. "Thank you Ann…"

"De nada mi niño" Ms. Adams stood up and leaned forward pressing a feather light kiss on Eddward's forehead. "Sé valiente" she whispered out softly caressing his cheek.

It was then that Eddward stared at the woman's tender eyes in astonishment. She knew so much more about him than she had lead on. Her loving kiss had touched him deeply that he couldn't hold back the glaze over his eyes.

…

The freckled teen sat impatiently on his bed feeling a bundle of nerves unravel as the hour approached closer to 7. It was Friday evening and he was expecting a certain raven haired athlete to show up at his door any second now. Kevin was sure the other must be ten times more nervous but he hoped interacting with two adults wouldn't be too much for him. It wasn't like this was Eddward's first time coming over; in fact the teen had indeed been over a handful of time even when his father was home. Their interaction was also quite endearing for him to witness because his dad would always want to try to get Eddward to speak more but the poor swimmer was skillful in giving short responses. Tom liked Eddward, that was clear as day and Kevin was thankful.

It was then his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar soft rumbling of an engine outside. The freckled teen stood up and peeked out his window to see that indeed, Eddward's car was parked outside. He sat down at the edge of his window feeling new bubbly nerves unfold as he stared down at the dark figure behind the tinted glass.

After what seemed like 5 minutes he stood up making his way out of his room before he abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his small mirror on the desk. He was wearing a dark red flannel with a black shirt underneath. Well, it was a step up from his usual oversized sweaters he thought to himself as he combed his hair a bit taking a step forward. Once more he stopped himself holding his breath as he caught on to what he was doing and ruffled his hair to its normal messy state. Finally, he let out a sigh and rushed downstairs.

His mother was setting up the table when he wondered into the room waiting for the other to knock. She looked up as she heard him enter a bright smile enveloping her face with a soft laugh "You look just like your father when he was in high school"

"Dashingly handsome?" the man hoarse voice called from the kitchen

Liz laughed out with a shake of hand giving Kevin a wink. "You do look rather handsome honey" she cooed at her son.

With a blush Kevin chuckled nervous bringing a hand to the back of neck "Thanks mom" he turned his attention to the front door where he heard knocking. "I'll get it" he announced finding the warmth of his cheek only increasing with every step he took.

He opened the door to find the raven haired teen look down at him with a sort of shock in his expression. "Hey" he whispered out with a smile taking in Eddward's outfit. The athlete still wore his black striped beanie, but had a dark red sweater on with a white dress shirt underneath and a pair of dark jeans. Truthfully, the teen looked absolutely striking.

"Hey yourself" Eddward smiled revealing that gap between his teeth that somehow made Kevin's heart skip a beat every time.

With a breathy laugh the freckled teen stepped back as he opened the door fully to let the other come in. "Dad and mom are excited about tonight" he said closing the door.

"I wish I could say the same" Eddward whispered out very quietly making Kevin laugh.

"You'll be fine. I'm right here" Kevin smiled reaching out to give the other's hand a small squeeze of encouragement.

"Eddward!" Tom happily called out as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Evening sir" Eddward turned his attention over to Kevin's father as he felt Kevin let go of his hand.

With a laugh the man reached out placing a hand on the teen's shoulder "I've told you to call me Tom" the man chuckled out.

"…Tom" Eddward let out a small smirk. It was then that he caught sight of a small woman slowly walk into the hall. He didn't need introduction because he knew this woman was definitely Kevin's mother. They shared a striking resemblance. Although she had rose gold hair, her facial features were very similar. The curve of the woman's jaw and the delicate nose, and the heavy amount of freckles were exactly the same as the small teen beside him. The one thing that he instantly noticed however were the woman's observant bright green eyes.

"Eddward? I'm Kevin's mother… Lizzy, but you can call me Liz" she offered a hand, her head tilting to the side as if heavily observing the boy.

"…Pleasure to meet you ma'am" Eddward gave a small nod taking the woman's small freckled hand and shaking it.

Liz crossed her arms and silently looked onto Eddward with a shake of her head as if in amazement. The Barr men looked at the woman in silence wondering what had her in awe and Eddward tried his best not to squirm in her stare "I'm sorry" she laughed out after a moment "You just um…you remind me of a friend from high school." She turned to Tom then "Doesn't he look a lot like Isabella?"

Tom then looked back at Eddward with the same observant eyes "Uh, yeah he kind of does now that you mention it"

"What's your last name honey?" she asked quietly

"Liz, she could have married ya know" Tom laughed out

"Vincent ma'am" Eddward answered her with a breath held tightly in his chest. Kevin had stepped closer to the raven haired teen which help him stay calm.

"Oh, your father's Dr. Vincent? I thought your parents were out of town?" Kevin's father asked with a bright smile "Huh, I didn't know he had a son, I just went to pay him a visit last week. Back aches"

"You old man" Kevin laughed out placing a supportive hand on Eddward's back in a way his parent's wouldn't see knowing this conversation must be making the teen panic.

"Hey" The Barr man warned playfully

Lizzy laughed listening to the two bicker "Boys boys you're both pretty" she laughed even more at Tom's and Kevin's reaction. "Ok but really, I'm sorry for being so nosy but I'm very curious to know if your mother is perhaps… Isabella Garcia?" she asked with a soft smile.

It was then that Kevin felt Eddward tense and he gave him a small squeeze with his hand hoping to ease him. Thankfully Eddward seemed to compose himself as he slightly leaned back on his hand. "Yes…that is her maiden name"

With a bright smile that resembled Kevin's the woman raised her hands to her lips "I knew it!" she laughed out "Oh my goodness, you are Isabella's _son_ " she jumped with excitement "She was my best friend in high school" the woman explained stepping closer reaching her hands out hoping to embrace Eddward then stopped noticing his stiffness "M-may I?" she asked with tear filled eyes.

Eddward was in shock at the revelation but once again Kevin's hand pressed against his back helped him hold onto something to keep him grounded. He didn't trust his voice so he softly nodded in confirmation. With a tender smile Liz stepped up on the tips of her toes and wrapped her small arms around the taller teen pulling him close. "You look _so_ much like her"

Kevin smiled letting go of the teens back and quietly watched the scene. He knew Eddward looked a lot like his mother. The portrait the swimmer kept in the living room was enough to confirm it. Kevin was certain the only features the teen had received from his father would have been the tan skin and wavy hair, but apart from it Eddward had the woman's delicate features and dark black hair. He just wished things would have turned out different.

After a long moment of Lizzy embracing Eddward in a tight hug she finally pulled back with a bubbly laugh. "I'm so sorry"

"It's…quite alright" Eddward mumbled out awkwardly giving the woman a small smile Kevin knew was forced.

At his smile, Liz's smile seemed to get brighter "Look Tom, he even has her gap. How cute" she squeaked in joy.

With embarrassment Eddward pressed his lips together looking down find a giggling Kevin looking up at him encouragingly. This time he couldn't help but smile down at the freckled teen.

"Well who would have known huh" Tom gave Eddward a pat on the back

Liz gave a back handed slap at Tom's arm "How could you not known this entire time!"

"Woman! It's been years!" Tom defended himself "I never knew she had moved back"

"No excuses! This is small enough town for everyone to know who comes and goes for crying out loud" Liz placed her hands at her hips. "Oh! I need to see her again, I've missed her so much"

"There's no winning with you females" Kevin's father groaned out

"S-She's not in town at the moment" Eddward jumped in quickly

"She's not?" the small woman looked up sadly as her shoulder dropped slightly.

"No uh…she's been out of the country for a while now working on a medical program to help the children in India" Eddward stated remembering his mother speaking to him about it years back before she had left. His mother had wanted to go, but she hadn't saying she wanted Eddward to have a normal childhood. How her ideals had changed so quickly.

"Interesting, she was always so kind that Isabella" Liz laughed out. "Alright, enough talk for now, our dinner is going to get cold" she giggled out reaching a hand to grab at Eddward's arm and pulled him into the dining area followed by the Barr men.

Kevin gave Eddward a small look as if to ask if he was alright and he returned the gesture with a smile to reassure the smaller teen. Liz and Tom had made their way into the kitchen serving plates of chicken and broccoli Alfredo that Kevin had come to be his favorite dish his mother would cook for them. With a playful yet encouraging motion, Kevin had wrapped a foot around the others foot receiving a grateful nudge from the other as Eddward let his foot relax against the others. For the rest of that time the conversation switched between asking Eddward questions about school related things and Liz and Tom sharing stories about their high school experience making the raven haired teen feel to some extend thankful they hadn't continued to ask about his parents. Some way along their conversation Liz and Tom argued about her cooking skills which made Kevin want to jump in and tell them the great cooking skill Eddward had up his sleeve. At this the raven haired teen had blushed profoundly and Liz had excitedly asked him for something to try the next time.

"Eddward, would you please help me clean up?" Liz kindly asked standing up and beginning to grab the dirty dishes. Kevin then retrieved his foot and watched the other nod as he stood up as well.

Making his way into the kitchen he noticed the woman turn to him with a soft smile. She took the placed and placed them into the sink to rinse them. "Place them in the dish washer" she directed handing the rinsed dish to the teen.

As she finished up and gave the last of the cups to Eddward she leaned her hip to the counter and crossed her arms watching the boy close the machine. "…Thank you" she spoke out softly.

"It was no trouble at all" Eddward stood quietly

"I mean, about Kevin." Liz gave a breathy laugh correcting herself. She glanced at the living room where the Barr's had moved to. Tom was making faces at Kevin who was laughing at the man's childish behavior. "Tom tells me our son seemed to be having a rough first two years in high school. He told me Kevin was so quiet and closed off back then often times locking himself in his room for long periods of time." she frowned as she ripped her eyes away "It pains me to know that I wasn't there for him when he needed me. I've been such a coward"

Eddward frowned not knowing how to answer the woman's comment. It pained him to know these small details of Kevin because it had been his fault. What was he supposed to tell her _I'm sorry, it's all my fault_ …?

"However, Tom also told me how much happier Kevin seemed when after becoming your friend. He tells me Kevin is more animated and strong." She laughed looking to meet the teen's steady eyes "So, Thank you for being his friend" She reached to place a hand of Eddward's arm "I can't express the amount of gratitude I feel. You helped him through a hard time this summer, and I'm so sorry to have caused the burden but he's my son and I love him so very much."

Eddward seemed to slightly melt at the woman's genuine words. "Kevin has helped me far more. I'm obliged to have him as a friend"

With tear filled eyes she smiled "Isabella has made a magnificent young man out of you" she gave him a pat "I shouldn't be surprised the two of you found each other really. Izzy and I were very close back then and I'm so happy to hear the two of you getting along so well"

Eddward had so many questions he wanted to ask the woman, but refrained himself back. Instead he just stayed quiet looking onto Kevin who had thrown a small pillow at Tom. "You know, the next time I visit how about you have dinner with us again. I'll bring this old photo album of mine. I have so many pictures of your mother when she was your age"

At this the athlete's heart skipped a beat as he turned to looked down at the woman. Oh, his childish desire desperately wanted to see those photographs. He wanted to see his own mother… "Perhaps" he quietly mumbled out. With a giggle Liz nodded lifting off the counter and leading the way into the living room.

Kevin noticed the boy finally relaxed after his short conversation with his mother and it made him curious about the details of it. Eddward sat on the recliner chair as Kevin took the edge of it leaving the couch for Kevin's parents. After another hour of conversation Eddward looked to check the time finding it to be almost 10 and tried to politely excuse himself.

"Why not spend the night over? It's the weekend and you both could stay up watching a movie or something in Kevin's room?" Liz suggested tapping Tom on the leg to support her.

"The nights young Eddward! We don't mind your company at all. Besides, Lizzy obviously hasn't had enough of you. Just shoot your father a message to let him know I'm sure he won't mind" Tom leaned back.

At their suggestion Eddward looked up at Kevin but the freckled teen only looked down with excited eyes. With a sigh the swimmer smiled "…I suppose I could spend the night"

With that Lizzy excitly clapped her hands and they continued talking (mostly Liz and Tom) another hour until Kevin finally stood up and dragged Eddward upstairs to his room. When Eddward heard Kevin close the door he let out a sigh to which Kevin laughed at "Sorry, my parents are really talkative huh?"

"I'm feeling rather drained but… it wasn't so bad" Eddward reached to take off his beanie and run a hand through his hair.

"Really?" Kevin raised an eyebrow inquisitively as he walked over to his closet to pull out a pair of sweats that were his father's and didn't fit him at all but knew they would for the athlete.

"Really" the raven haired teen affirmed sitting down on Kevin bed and taking in his surrounds noticing the room wasn't as messy it had been other times.

With a smile Kevin handed Eddward the sweats and sweatshirt "I'm glad... I um, I know it was kind of weird for you when my mom was asking about your mom. Hell, it's so weird how they were best friends" the freckled teen laughed quietly turning to grab a change of clothes as well.

"It certainly is…" Eddward stared at the teen's petite form as he had taken off the flannel before looking away and changing as well.

"Do you have work tomorrow?" Kevin asked changing the subject

The raven haired teen nodded "In the afternoon"

"Awesome" Was all the freckled teen said as he quietly listened to his parents softly speaking downstairs. It really made him happy to know they had taken such a liking to the athlete.

Although, it had been appealing to watch a movie the boys did feel very tired and as soon as they lied down they both felt rather sleepy. Kevin turned to Eddward on his side and reached to place his freckled hand on top of the others hand "Thanks for coming" he mumbled out sleepily.

Eddward let out a soft chuckle moving his hand to lazily hold Kevin's "Thank you for having me" he quietly replied leaning close for their foreheads to almost touch.

…

Nazz sat at her desk completely engulfed in writing an essay she had to turn in next week. Normally she had Kevin over to work with her as they would normally get these assignments done together, however she was aware that at the moment the ginger boy was preoccupied with another task. The thought of _Eddward Vincent_ having dinner at Kevin's home was amusing to her and she hoped the athlete would have a difficult time knowing how socially awkward the teen was.

With a sign she ripped her mind from the thoughts to save the file and finally send it to print. Nazz stood making her way downstairs where their printer was located when he heard a soft rumbling outside. She had thought it would have been her father finally coming home just in time for dinner but as she pushed back the window curtain she met eyes with none other than Sam.

Immediately she closed the curtain feeling her heart come to a complete stop before panic began to surge in. Oh god was this bastard serious? She couldn't believe it. What was she to do? She took a couple of deep breathes as she heard the printer come to a stop. Making sure her mother was preoccupied in the kitchen she quietly stepped out to confront the teen.

There he was. Nazz scowled at the look of absolutely amusement the other's expression radiant as he leaned against the house waiting for her. "What are you doing _here_?" she hissed out.

"Date remember?" Sam smirked with arms crossed

"No, no date. I never agreed to this. Get out of here! I'm not going anywhere with you" Nazz tried shoving the guy but Sam pressed back with his full weight.

"Oh yes you are _or_ I'm going to invite myself inside to meet the Mrs." Sam chuckled out as Nazz stared at him in absolute horror.

With mouth agape Nazz stood completely annoyed and torn. She really didn't want Sam inside her home and most defiantly nowhere near her family. She knew there was no winning with this egoistical asshole "F-fine! Just-this- _once_ " she gave the blonde a harsh shove before stepping back and with a sigh she opened the door "wait here"

"Put on a pretty short dress for me love" Sam called out with a laugh.

"I hate you" she mumbled out closing the door behind her. She stood with her heart in her throat in absolutely shock of what was happening. She hadn't thought the guy actually meant it for real! Nazz assumed Sam had teen teasing, had been playing around like he always did. So, what was he doing here? What should she do! She didn't want to disturb the boys knowing they all had their own things going on at the moment.

First of all she had to come up with an excuse to leave the house since her mother was getting started with dinner. She awkwardly walked in biting her lips when she noticed her mother waiting for her by the counter with an eyebrow raised and a smirk. "Who's the boy?" she asked.

Shit. Nazz tried so very hard not to role her eyes "…He's nobody really"

"Uh huh" her mother's smirk grew wider and gave her a look "Nazz Van Bartonshmeer how dare you go out on a date wearing that!" the woman yelped out moving forward to push the girl out of the kitchen and up the stairs. "Wear something decent! This is your first real date!"

"This isn't a date mom!" Nazz cried out sluggishly making her way up the stairs "I can't believe this!" she hissed out closing her bedroom door. "God…if only she knew"

Nazz stormed through her front door dressed and completely annoyed watching her mother speaking with a very flirty Sam. When the blonde saw her he gave a sharp whistle of awe to which she desperately wanted to respond with the middle finger if her mom wasn't right there. Instead she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms waiting for her mother to finish gushing over the teen.

"You look absolutely ravishing" Sam leaned in placing a hand on the girl's lower back to guide her to his motorcycle once her mother had stepped back inside.

Nazz had thrown on a black fitting sweater with a burgundy corduroy skirt and black tights and boots all covered by her camel coat. "Fuck you" she grumbled annoyed beyond belief. She had made sure to send Ed a text just in case she was walking into yet another trap that could patiently get her killed. _Why Nazz! Why do you get yourself into these situations!_ Her brain screamed.

Sam helped her mount the motorcycle handing her a helmet after and suddenly she felt completely terrified of having to ride with this psychopath. She was used to riding around with Kevin, but Kevin was safe. With Sam…well she was about to find out.

As Sam started the engine he turned his head slightly "Might want to hold on love"

Nazz closed her eyes at the agony of having to be so close to the other. She loosely wrapped her arms around Sam's waist but with a chuckle Sam grabbed her hands and yanked her forward. "Don't be shy sweetheart. I don't want you falling off"

"Where are you taking me?" she nervously asked feeling an overwhelming anxiety being forced to be pressed so close to Sam.

"That's for me to know and you to find out" Sam called out with a smile as he finally drove off.

Immediately she could tell that the blonde was most definitely a skilled driver and would be a great competition for Kevin if they ever raced. Not that she encouraged the idea because she would always get a heart attack watching Kevin race down empty streets. The guy was fast, but had obviously purposefully slowed down.

"I'm amazed you're not spooked love" Sam called out with a smile "I was hoping to have you crying out as you held onto me"

"In your dreams Jackass" Nazz responded pushing away slightly so she wasn't pressed up so close.

"Well then, you won't mind if I go a bit faster?"

"Just don't get us killed" Nazz rolled her eyes unimpressed at the teen's cocky attitude as he sped up. As if she was going to be that stereotypical girly girl. She wasn't afraid.

After a couple of minutes Sam had taken a long route into the town's center that was slowly being filled with the night life. Nazz breathed out thankful he had taken her somewhere populated. They came to a stop at a nearby parking lot where she quickly climbed off the motorcycle and took off the helmet looking around for anything suspicious.

Sam made an aim to hold her hand but she quickly rejected him and crossed her arms instead looking away as if she hadn't noticed it. With a chuckle the tall blonde instead wrapped an arm around her shoulder to which she leaned away.

The teen led her through town some thanksgiving decoration was up throughout the town but mostly early Christmas lights had been placed already throughout the trees. Nazz noticed some girls giving her nasty looks to which she turned away and ignored them. She felt Sam give her shoulder a gentle squeeze as if to reassure her.

It was at a local semi-expensive restaurant that Sam finally led her through. The peach grill, in all honestly it was one of her favorite places and it was where her family would go to eat on her birthday but of course she wasn't going to say anything. They had an outdoor area that was covered in greenery and in fairy lights and on the inside a crowded bar.

Of course, the jerk had decided to pick a spot outside with all the plants and seasonal flowers and freaking lights. To top it all off the absolute jackass had the audacity to pull her chair out as she took a seat and gave her a wicked smirk as he took a seat as well. "How romantic of you" she mumbled trying so hard not to seem in awe at the scenery in front of her.

"I try" Sam smiled now looking down at his menu.

There were only two other…couples in the outdoor area all laughing and taking pictures. Here she was silently freaking out as she felt vibrations from her phone and she silently pulled it out to check. Ed…and he was freaking the fuck out.

She tried to be reassuring as she told him exactly where she was and had begged him not to disturb Kevin and Eddward's own dinner. She knew the second they found out they would rush off to grab her. However, she wasn't as afraid knowing the deal Sam and Eddward had made. She knew Sam valued Eddward and because of that she prayed he wouldn't do anything horrific.

Once their meals had arrived, Sam had tried to start a small conversation mostly about Nazz. He had asked her simple questions like what were her main interests, hobbies, and favorite color. They weren't harmful questions so she answered him honestly looking uninterested the entire time. "Red Orange" she quietly responded distracted by the small amount of food left in her plate meaning the date would almost be at its end, she silently cheered at the thought.

"Ah, it would definitely be a great complimentary color with your blue eyes" Sam raised his glass of water to drink amusingly staring at the girl pick at her food. "Tell me, what do you hope to make of yourself after you graduate Highschool?"

Nazz looked up with a raised eyebrow. This was the first more serious question he had asked "I don't really know…"

"I don't believe you" Sam smirked "A girl as smart as you already has her whole life planned out. So, let me guess"

"Alright, guess" Nazz leaned back

"Based on your interest in reading and writing, you want to major in literature perhaps minor in art history. I definitely see you interested in the fine arts. Your goal is to write a novel, what genre well that I'm not so sure. Then marry a doctor and have three lovely minions running around your house…how close was I?" Sam took another drink.

Nazz had her lips parted in awe…how was she so readable… "c-completely off" she placed down her fork taking a drink of her tea.

"Done?" he questioned. The girl nodded not making eye contact "Great, I have something for you" he reached over to move her plate and that's when Nazz noticed one of the waiters coming with another plate.

The waiter placed the plate in front of her and she internally gasped as they had brought out the restaurant's famous desert. Grilled peach splits…her freaking favorite! Nazz pressed her lips tightly as she looked up to meet the other's excited eyes. "Why all this?" she asked hesitantly.

"I've already told you perhaps a million times by now love" Sam leaned his cheek against one of his hand while he handed her a spoon "Dig in they're all yours"

"I…" She began slowly taking the spoon from the other's hand. Then she picked up one of the peaches and placed it on the other's plate. "…I can't eat them both…" she mumbled out with a red face. Yet another wicked smile and Sam picked up a spoon of his own. Nazz was thankful those dark eyes where not watching her as they had been before.

She received another message from Ed as she and Sam were walking out of the restaurant. She felt a feeling of disappointment as she truly loved the outdoor area, it had been gorgeous. However, now it had gotten darker and the night life was in full motion. Nazz quickly messaged another reassuring text to Ed hoping Sam hadn't noticed. However, as the blonde teen wrapped a hand around her waist she looked down to see the most recent text. [ **Why does he have his arm around you?]**

Nazz quietly shrieked looking around the area and spotted Ed behind them on the other side of the street giving them a look. "Everything alright love?"

Sam looked at her and noticed she had been looking behind them and made to follow her gaze but in a panic she grabbed the teen's face and forced him to look at her "Let's walk around the park" she suggested.

"I didn't think my charm was going to win you over so easily love" Sam said smoothly leaning in her hold and making to give her a kiss.

"DON'T misunderstand!" Nazz pulled away just in time. She grabbed Sam's arm and dragged him through the busy street. She quickly looked back across the street and made a face that said _What the heck are you doing here?!_

Ed slowly followed them with hands shoved in his pockets and rolled his eyes saying _What do you think I'm doing here._

Her facial features softened and she raised her eyebrows with a frown saying _Be careful_

Ed responded with a reassuring smile and a raised eyebrow looking over to Sam.

It was then Nazz noticed a red headed teen about the same height following alongside Ed and she gave him a raised eyebrow to which the brunette glanced back and shrugged looking back at her.

She couldn't help but let out a giggled that got Sam's attention. He gave her a questioning look and she turned red looking away "It's nothing"

Sam seemed contented with having Nazz hold onto his arm so they made their way through the crowd and into the park that was filled with simple activities for people to do. It was around this time she remembered that the town would set up activities as part of the thanksgiving celebration. There was a stand where people could write what they were thankful for and the messages would be placed on a wall in town. There were a couple of teens blasting music as they danced in the grass.

Sam stopped walking let her quietly observe the nightly activity. She knew it was the weekend before thanksgiving and knowing they would soon go on that 4 day break excited her. "Come" Sam finally put his arm around her shoulder once more leading her to the stand and gave her a pen to write. "What are you thankful for Nazz?" he asked her with a curious look.

Nazz looked down and actually thought about the question. As she noticed Sam writing she looked back to see Ed talking with the red headed kid and she smiled turning back and writing down her answer. "My friends" she quietly spoke out. She leaned in closer taking a small peek at Sam's answer but the teen chuckled and gave the guy his note before Nazz could actually read it. "What did _you_ write?"

"Guess" Sam teased motioning her to follow him as he started walking away.

"I don't know…Your rich ass?" She suggested following behind with her hands in her pockets. The night had gotten rather cold and she wished to be brought back home as soon as possible.

"Wrong" Sam let you a breathy laugh watching the condensation of his breath float away.

"Then tell me" the girl looked up and noticed Sam looking up at the sky with a soft smile on his face.

"My mother" he spoke softly with a sense of vulnerability that caught Nazz off guard.

"…Look at you…you have a heart" Nazz ripped her eyes away scared to look at the unguarded expression of the other.

"Of course I do love, I'm still human" Sam laughed now making his way through the park's garden that was mostly deserted. He took a seat on a bench and looked up at the girl standing in front of him. "Did you think me a monster?"

Nazz frowned "yes"

With amused eyes he questioned her again "Did you think Eddward a monster?"

Nazz frown twitched but with a breath she answered "…yes"

"What do you think of him now?" Sam leaned forward meeting the girl's eyes.

Nazz shrugged "He's…not so bad" she crossed her arms looking away.

"Perhaps then, I might not be so bad as well" Sam smiled tugging at her coat.

"I doubt it" Nazz ignored the tugging

"Try me love" Sam to say it as a dare and Nazz was careful not to give in to his game.

With a sigh she sat down on the bench as well "Look let's get one thing straight. I'm too smart to be seduced by you. I don't know what it is you want from me but it's not happening"

With a heartfelt laugh Sam leaned back placing an arm around the girl "If you're so smart then you know exactly what I want from you sweetheart"

Nazz looked back at him in utter confusion "You can't be serious"

"Oh I'm positively serious love" Sam leaned in closer "Come on, get to know me"

"What is there to know about you?" Nazz yelped out "All I know is that you lead a gang and do absolutely horrific things as a pass time! You've blackmailed Eddward into this atrocious lifestyle, and you think because of some dreamy date I'm going to look past all that and swoon over you? Well you are so wrong" she huffed out crossing her arms and turning her head away.

"There's a reason for everything Nazz. Sure I'm not the most kindhearted person out there but…I do all off this for a reason." Sam tried to get the girl to look at him.

"What possible reason could there be?" Nazz turned to give the other a firm stare.

"Believe it or not…Eddward and I are very much alike. The only difference is how we handle our misery. We are both…unstable human beings and in all honestly I am grateful to see he has found a…healthy outlet" Sam paused to think as he looked down between the space that separated him and the girl "But I am stuck in this prison love. A prison I can't break through because I have set my eye on the golden prize. This _prize_ was worth my freedom and morality." Sam leaned away watching the girl process his words.

"…What exactly is that prize?" Nazz mumbled out almost afraid to ask

"My father's approval" Sam casually said with a smirk

"So…you're telling me you're doing all of this for your father?" Nazz looked baffled

"Well…my mother as well" he shrugged looking around the garden "But that's a whole different story I'm not going to get to tonight" he winked.

"I don't understand" Nazz leaned forward "Why the gang? Why the parties? Why hurt anyone?"

Sam laughed out "Honey, my Father's…" Sam leaned so close their noses almost touch "… _The Wolf_ " he whispered out with a mischievous smile.

Nazz's eyes immediately widened and she stood up in horror "You're f-father's the-"

Sam quickly stood up and wrapped a hand around her mouth "Shh…wouldn't be wise of you to speak his title out loud. You never knew who is listening"

"You're father's a mafia boss!" Nazz whispered out horrified after Sam had let her free. She let out a laugh "…and not _just_ a mafia boss, oh no, he's one of the most wanted criminals in the country!" she silently freaked out pacing. "Oh my god I'm going to die"

Sam let another bark of laughter watching the girl panic "Calm down, you're not going to die love" Sam stood taking the girl by the shoulders to stop her pacing "Father's is in another state, it's just my mother and me living here. No one knows"

"…"Nazz looked up at Sam with wide eyes "I can't _believe_ you! oh my god! What am I doing here?"

Sam smiled with a sigh "Alright that's enough for one night, I think it's time to get you back home" he scooped her hand and held on tightly as the girl struggled but after many failed attempts to get free she gave up.

She had spotted Ed within the crowd and gave him a look as if to say it was alright now and he nodded back in understanding. Then gave her a surprised look as he motion to her and Sam's held hands to which she blushed and turned away.

The ride back to her home was quiet and by the time she arrived she felt very mentally exhausted. Sam walked her to her front door and she made to escape before he spoke but he trapped her between the door and his body. She squeaked looking back with a frown.

"Oh thank you Sam, tonight was so lovely, I think I've might have fallen for you even just a little bit" Sam sarcastically spoke out with a high pitch voice then looked down with an intense stare.

"Ha ha ha" Nazz rolled her eyes "I'm not going to thank you for something you forced me to do"

The tall blonde smirked "Well, you certainly weren't complaining during our date"

Nazz flushed a deep shade of red "Oh s-shut it Sam!"

"You are absolutely adorable love" Sam grabbed the girl's chin to tilt her head so he could plant a sweet kiss to her cheek. "Sweet dreams. Hopefully I'll be in them tonight" he chuckled as he walked away leaving a petrified Nazz standing at her door way.

She rushed inside ignoring her mother's excited callings. As soon as he entered her room she locked herself inside and threw herself onto the bed hugging the pillow close to her body. _Tell me this is all just a nightmare!_

 _What have you gotten yourself into Nazz…_

…

* * *

 **Once again please excuse any errors as it's 2am and I really need to study for an exam tomorrow :P Seriously though the most i've slept in like 3 weeks is like 4 hours lolol i'm pretty sure i'm rotting from the inside haha**

 **"De nada mi niño" "Sé valiente" : You're welcome my boy & Be brave **

__**Please leave a review, I enjoy reading them very much and helps me stay motivated! THEY REALLY REALLY DO! :D**__

 _ **Let me know if you have any t**_ _ **houghts, predictions, and any feels!**_

 ** _Guys...you have no idea how excited I am to start the next chapter...i've been dying to write it since I started this story. I'm pretty sure it is going to be yet another long one since a lot is going to happen in the chapter. I just hope I can do it justice._**

 _ **Look forward to the next time I update! and let's see what happens next.**_

 _ **I hope you have a lovely Day/Night XOXO**_


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